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I think Moxley retaining against Punk has to happen really.

The last thing they want is a WWE-like sense that they can’t deviate from The Plan. Punk winning at the first attempt would be such a reset moment.

Mox retains. Punk doubts himself and slowly turns heel is the way to go.

I'm with you to a point Rooster, but I think that in the same way some misguided people thought Undertaker should have retired with the streak in tact; Eddie should retire never having won the big one.

Its why this interim World title was made for him, and why I'm so disappointed they didn't do the brave thing and put it on him. In the old days with a character like Eddie's you'd do a big Dusty Finish when the champ came to the territory and let Eddie live off the 30 seconds he had the belt until his dying day. With the interim World title they could have effectively let a Dusty Finish play out over however many months it took Punk to come back and spoil the party. Preferably by cheating to take back the belt and making himself the biggest prick heel on Earth. It would've elevated Eddie and given us the goosebump moment when he won the interim belt, but leave his main animating character point - his doubt in himself - in tact for future stories.

If he wins the title for real its probably great for a night but you can never tell the story of his self doubt again. Because he's exorcised it. Eddie Kingston is a far less interesting character the moment he gets the belt and even though as a fan I'd love it, if I were booking I'd want to keep that element of his character going forever.

And, you know, Linda McMahon serving in Trump's cabinet.

Between that and hosting WrestleMania with Good Laugh Terry, Titus must be in the conversation for most humiliating WWE run ever. 

Its just weird that no one has acknowledged Eddie and Kofi have the same surname after all these replies.

His goose is cooked then. Its hard to know how to react. We all knew he was a wrong’un for years, and kept giving him money, but now its confirmed.

This could blow up pretty big from here.

I love that Christian’s heel clothes all look like Matalan’s own. The most heelish of all high street couture.

Its just a bit of a laugh, ‘Premo.

I'd be up for a Dax run as TNT champion at some point. No need to break FTR up on the way either. Relatable lad with a great 'earthy' ring style who puts on bangers every week. He needs a bit of work turning his very likeable real life personality into a serviceable promo but he'll get there.

4 hours ago, LaGoosh said:

Kingston is one of the best wrestlers in the world at the moment, I would say. His PPV run is currently unmatched, wall to wall bangers.

Agreed. And his No1 contender tournament match with Danielson last year was one of the best TV matches I've ever seen. Think it was on Rampage.

Ah I woke up really excited for Dynamite and just got through watching it. That Battle Royal broke my heart. I'd assumed that the convoluted Battle-Royal-to-get-to-Wardlow-Moxley booking was all because it was too soon to do another tournament. So then to announce a new tournament for a new belt almost immediately after the Battle Royal? All started to feel very messy.

I'm not one of those weird fans who gets personally offended when the booking doesn't validate my expectations, but I'd spent all week fantasy booking the winner here and they went with one of the least intriguing choices available to them. Seeing Eddie Kingston hit the floor so unceremoniously gave me flashbacks to Daniel Bryan at the 2015 Rumble. There were no other interesting potential winners in the match at that point, as far as I was concerned, and I half expected/hoped the crowd might turn on the match. It rubbed salt into the wound seeing Eddie give a great promo later in the show. A Mox/Kingston main event could've been one of the best one night stories ever.

Hangman felt sadly diminished coming out for his TV match but at least he's going straight into some kind of Okada situation. Echo what others have said about Cole bringing the vibe down. Should've let Page's challenge breathe. No mention of MJF at all feels like a misstep. It might help the angle feel more organic when they eventually go back to it, but in the short-term it cools it right down.

The original cult leader thing was great aesthetically but needed to actually go somewhere. Nowt complex necessarily just Bray trying to recruit followers, expand his influence in the fed. Become champ. Ministry of Darkness kind of thing with a different skin.

WWE refuse to do storylines now for some reason though so it just snapped back to being Bray and the lads having the same feud over and over again. Like a sitcom resetting at the end of every episode. It leaves the character without any discernible motivation. At which point he’s just a guy playing dress up on telly never achieving anything or doing anything with any stakes.

He’s probably the biggest casualty of the no stories era. Unless he has palpable goals you’re just left wondering why this cult leader guy is even bothering to be a wrestler?

Cody's great. Glad he's getting so much shine. Got flashbacks to that Michaels/Triple H match where Shawn was legitimately hurt. I want to say it was a Taboo Tuesday?

Injury will derail his push obviously but hopefully he's back to win the Rumble and cement himself as their new ace at Mania next year.

Rollins' panto character work throughout was an absolute lead weight around the match's ankle, like. The worst top guy they've ever had.

3 hours ago, RedRooster said:

Having Kingston’s first World title win be an interim one would be a mistake, I feel.

I think it could be perfect for him. His feuds with Punk and Jericho were all about his insecurity and unfulfilled potential. There was even a line in a promo battle where he cited his Full Gear main event opposite Moxley as evidence he’d ‘made it’. Only for Jericho to shoot back that Moxley beat him and he’d never win the big one.

An interim reign where he knows he eventually has to beat Punk or be forever tarred as a nearly man would be a really natural development. And the match would be super heated.

19 minutes ago, TildeGuy~! said:

New Japan aren’t having Kingston beat Tanahashi,  Omega is injured, MJF isn’t currently on the roster and Hangman has been champion for nearly a year so I don’t know how he opens up more possible stories…

Kingston, MJF and Hangman all had recent feuds with the absent champion. Omega's out sure, but if he's physically able his return and NJ history would instantly be compelling. MJF is on the roster. He's just working a storyline.

Moxley's fine but he has no storyline tension with Punk. He even helped him out as a tag partner a while ago. He's the safest, blandest option as things stand.

8 hours ago, TildeGuy~! said:

Like who?

 

Kingston, MJF, Hangman, Omega all open up more story possibilities than Moxley.

Its a bit convoluted for now but the match will be set in a week's time.

I hope its not Moxley personally. There's several much more interesting options. And I love Moxley.

I love that the Tanahashi match is now for the interim title. Adds so much more intrigue to a show that might otherwise have felt like a load of exhibition matches lacking consequence.

A Tanahashi win is surely unlikely but not out of the question. Would be interesting if in-canon Tony is rooting for the New Japan guy to keep his belt off MJF.

1 minute ago, Louch said:

re MJF, he does feel the right man for this, but would new Japan be happy he beats Tannahashi? 

Is Tanahashi the confirmed opponent for the #1 contender? I hope so, but I hadn’t picked that up anywhere?

If Cody was still around it’d be amazing for him to solidify his heel turn by winning the interim world title on a technicality.

But yes Eddie is also a great pick, and sewing dissension between him and Moxley while they have this Blood & Guts match coming up would be intriguing and a natural development from Eddie’s scrap with Danielson at the PPV. Would also be perfect character development for Eddie if he has an impressive interim reign but then loses to his arch nemesis Punk and never gets to call himself the real world champ.

As messy as it is AEW have some great options here. No one’s even mentioned Hangman yet. I hope TK gets a huge bag in Wednesday afternoon.

Not sure why it isn’t Tanahashi vs Battle Royale winner for the interim belt at Forbidden Door.

Have MJF win the Battle Royale and then you have both challengers threatening to take the title elsewhere.

MJF to win the interim belt, then when Punk is ready he threatens to beat him for the real one and take it to WWE. Oh and they do the Punk match in Long Island.

1 hour ago, Merzbow said:

Anyone get a weird feeling that Hangman is going to be involved in this, somehow?

No, but it would be great if he was. He needs some proper direction after the title loss. Would be a real shame if he just floats about doing catchphrases.

He needs to be pissed off and maybe even flirting with a heel turn. Opposite firey worked-shoot tweener MJF could be a great step for them both. Especially as they both have tasty grievances with Punk. A six week programme culminating in a #1 contender’s match probably suits everyone.

Thoroughly excellent two hours of wrestling that. Can't believe a significant minority didn't enjoy the MJF promo. It was fantastic. They're going to get to a point where MJF is threatening to take the title from CM Punk to WWE. And with the way they've played the last week it actually feels organic. Hook it to my veins.

Bloody hell it was embarrassing when Punk botched the Buckshot not once but twice, and then had his arse fall out for about a minute before the ref tucked him back in. Understandably weird energy from the crowd for a few minutes after. Different sections were already turning on both guys to different degrees, which was fine with the story of the match, but it actually felt like they might turn on the match Goldber/Lesnar-at-Mania-XX style for a moment there.

I can't help but feel this has to lead to Punk turning heel and doing a JBL style chicken shit run, hopefully to be dethroned by Kingston. I just don't think they can maintain the suspension of disbelief that this fella who can't hit a flipping lariat is the 'Best in the World' on a roster full of lads who do perfect 450 splashes for fun.

I'm also predicting Wardlow will deflate quickly once he moves into a new feud. He'll be a fine upper-midcard hoss in the long term like but this Goldberg vibe they're going for won't sustain without the MJF story.