RedTwoster

Which is exactly why managers adjust. It was a needless routing. Maybe Hearts can play an intense style against lesser opponents but if the ambition is, as Tony Bloom has stated, to win the league within a decade, you have to have it in you to adapt to the circumstances. I don’t know if Vrancken is the right person for this project, but we’ll see.

Honestly, I expected a Celtic win. I didn’t expect them to score seven. And frankly, it could have been more if not for the goalkeeper. The most alarming part after was Vrancken’s interview, where he seemed completely unwilling to acknowledge or understand that his tactics may have been an issue here. Also, why the fuck is he so unwilling to play Stuart Findlay given how sloppy his defence has been at times this season?

I n light of recent events, I take my previous back. Fuck.

I think I’d have liked it more if it wasn’t a World title match? Maybe if it was to crown a number one contender or something I’d have liked it, but it didn’t really feel like a main event concept - maybe something that would have worked better as a spot-heavy opener. I didn’t think the wrestling was bad or anything, I just didn’t buy the execution or placement.

So, Wrestledream… Firstly, Andrade is the worst talented wrestler on AEW’s roster. He’s a WWE gimmick. The repetitive trouser and selfie spots in every fucking match. The stupid catchphrase shoehorned into every promo. An announcer fawning over how ‘cool’ he is as if forced to at gunpoint (for the record, I think Schiavone is saying this because he actually believes it, but it feels like the kind of thing Michael Cole would have said because Vince was screaming it in is ear - ‘REMIND THEM THAT HE’S COOL, GODDAMMIT!’) The match was good, but I hated it, especially the trouser spot. If Ciampa had followed the ‘kick-out’ up with telling the trousers ‘Andrade wouldn’t have done that’ or something like that it might have worked, but as it was, it was a very odd thing for him to do in the context of his character - and it being a title match; albeit one for a belt no one gives a shit about. On the other hand, the undisputed highlight of the show was Okada flipping off Takeshita after pinning him, as if he was Eric Cartman. Grinning like a Cheshire Cat, looking like the arsehole character he’s supposed to be - I loved it. He’s fantastic. I really want to see him interact with MJF, putting the two of them in a tag team for a little bit could be heaps of fun. I’d have liked to have seen Mercedes/Thekla get a bit more time. It was excellent, but for a match between two of the biggest acts on the roster right now, it felt a bit short. Wayne/Jericho was good, and it’s a rare situation for me in which Jericho putting someone over is actually working. The tag title match was great, and Kevin Knight’s star couldn’t be shining brighter right now. Like Okada, he’s very good at making you believe the way he behaves is just how he is. He IS an asshole, and he DOES believe he’s better than Kyle Fletcher, and probably anyone else on that roster. FTR/MCMG was good, but the Machine Guns still reek of WWE-stink to me. I don't buy them as a top level act, which FTR absolutely are at this point. Dragunov felt like a star, well done to whoever came up with his presentation here. I’m looking forward to seeing how he fits in on that stacked roster. The trios match was OK, but I didn’t really like having a best of three falls match and Clockwork Carnage on the same show, it felt repetitive to me. Still, here’s hoping we’ll get The Bucks vs New Level next, that’s something I really want to see, although I could absolutely see them saving that for All In next year. Please don’t, Tony! Clockwork Carnage didn’t really work for me as a concept. Given how many kick-outs there usually are in AEW main event matches, having that many pinfalls in one bout actually took me out of the match. Maybe if it had happened over two 30 mon halves I’d have bought it, I don’t know…but as it was, it felt a bit too gimmicky. The match wasn’t bad as such, I just found it hard to believe or get into.

Great write-ups as ever Richie, but fuck me, I never want to watch those matches. Even reading about some/most of these spots makes my stomach churn. Damn you for being such a compelling writer though, I stuck with these long past my normal point of tolerance!

100% this. People like Eric Bischoff calling for someone to look into the death (and that of Andy Williams) before the cause was even known was the kind of reactionary nonsense that could only have caused pain for the family if they were aware of it, hopefully they were not. I imagine the ‘all these young people have been dying since 2020, WHAT IS GOING ON?’ types won’t give in though, sadly.

This has the potential to be one of those B-level PPVs that absolutely knocks it out of the park, it’s a superb card. I don’t think it’ll happen since they have a new gimmick match to showcase, but I’d love to see Mercedes/Thekla close the show.

I can’t pretend to have found the Brawling Birds anything less than insufferable, but you have to feel for her. She’s someone that has, at various points, been very over but hasn’t been able to capitalise on that much because of injury.

It certainly seemed that way, but the road from ‘not sure what to do’ to ‘erm, shall we have him feud with Danhausen, then?’ is so unbelievably confusing. I mean, heck, use him to put someone over if you really need to - Trick Williams is on the rise, have them feud rather than run with Trick/Corbin. Or move him back to Raw and have him wrestle Oba Femi. If he’s the ‘career killer’ have him vow to end someone else’s career - Kevin Owens is back from a lengthy absence, while you can barely hear CM Punk’s promos these days over the creaking of his bones. The thought that Gunther might put a stop to either of them is believable enough, probably more so with Punk. When they overcome him, it could feel like a moment. Nice to see that AI is fine-tuned enough to the WWE ways that even it has learned the importance to drawing a creative blank, though.

Those photos really got me. I still don’t think his death has fully sunk in yet, but that post hit harder than I expected. I couldn’t stop thinking about how hard it must have been for his wife, going through all of her photos and selecting them for this post. All those amazing memories, knowing you’re never going to make new ones with him. Just awful.

How on earth has Gunther gone, in the space of a year, from retiring John Cena and AJ Styles to feuding with Danhausen? Also, 5 matches, 2 non-finishes and a DQ. Good going, Triple H.

On one hand, I’m delighted they’ve made a documentary about this, on the other I’d rather eat a tablespoon of dog shit than relive any of that final match. I can’t remember ever feeling more crushed at a football result.

Other than the Moxley match, I think he's been really good. If you took his current run and had it play out in WWE, it would be leagues apart from most other things they've been doing in that time. His whole storyline with Christian right down to the tag title win has been really fun. His character has been, admittedly, a bit bland compared to the likes of Swerve, MJF, Darby, Willow, Toni Storm, Hangman, Moxley and Thekla but I don't think he's been bad. He's just had to compete with people who are doing career best work in a company that has, for the bulk of Copeland's time there, been going through a real purple patch.

There are probably loads of logistical reasons as to why they wouldn't do this, but as much as I've soured on the Forbidden Door concept, I'd quite like to see them run a Forbidden Door: Tokyo show before they retire that show completely.