RedRooster Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 An excellent show, although Young Bucks vs Lucha Bros is (for me) fast becoming AEW’s version of Kofi vs Ziggler. I could do without seeing that particular combination ever again. It looks like the Dark Order will be getting a leader although the way they revealed that, with a POV camera, took me out of it a little. While I’m looking forward to next week’s show, I really hope they’ve taken stock and will take another look at the Statlander gimmick and what they’re doing with The Nightmare Collective. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the show felt much better on a week that they didn’t feature. The gimmick is so awful that it brings everything else down with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Supremo Posted January 2, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted January 2, 2020 (edited) MJF is fucking phenomenal. A proper heel. Every advert break on Fite TV should now be filled with him just strolling around the arena being a prick to everyone. Edited January 2, 2020 by Supremo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The King Of Swing Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Solid show. I actually enjoyed the women's match but they need to give Riho some actual wins without the roll up shit or just get the belt off of her. Between AEW and Stardom I'm completely fed up of Riho's routine. Should have put the belt on Rose first and then waited until Shida finished up in Japan if Kenny really wanted to push one of his mates. Hell I'd actually be willing to give the Alien a chance at this stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted January 2, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted January 2, 2020 I wonder how a wrestling show would look if it was basically a league. And after each match we go to the studio where ex-wrestlers are doing punditry and we check the league table and shit like that. "Phil?" "Jeff, I'm going with Hangman Page for the win today." "Le Tiss?" "Draw for me, Jeff." "Merse?" "PAC for me." Â Rankings never mean anything, because you tend to forget about them. But if the whole focus of the promotion is the rankings and the wins and loses, that would be the only way to actually make it mean something. Problem with that is, the novelty will no doubt wear off after a month and you'd be stuck with this concept that is already played out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted January 2, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted January 2, 2020 Exactly. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I think the biggest problem with a ranking system for this is that wrestlers have matches far too frequently for win/loss records to not become a bit clunky. In legit combat sports, most fighters tend to have only a handful of fights in a year at the very most, so win/loss records matter there. Not to mention that they'll only fight the same opponent two or three times at most (four or five times is a rarity) in their career, whereas in wrestling, barring the main events that build up to two guys facing each other for the first time, most wrestlers end up having lots of matches in varying formats and combinations over a period of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB6937 Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Rankings are really tough to keep track of through a long period of time, and I imagine they become quite a burden on bookers if they're actually meant to mean something overall. They'd be better off having them as a short-term thing during a mini-league or something. That's a lot more manageable and would actually keep peoples attention. I know New Japan do something fairly similar which works quite well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Supremo Posted January 2, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted January 2, 2020 (edited) I'm happy with them using the rankings similar to how the UFC use theirs. A nice thing for hardcore fans to keep track of, with the ability to refer to them on television as and when you want, but not something you have to strictly adhere to and something you flagrantly ignore whenever a special attraction emerges. I thought it was a great show, one of their best yet. Tight, focused, with everyone looking good even in defeat, obvious direction for the PPV and loads of hooks for the upcoming weeks of TV. Ultimately, it just proves how quickly and effectively this show can be improved with the most minor of tweaks. Actually push The Elite and present them as top bollocks, winning in spectacular fashion, actually tell stories like the Hangman Page thing on the actual show rather than in fucking YouTube videos, keep the Dark Order to thirty second vignettes in the mid-card and keep Brandi Rhodes and all her shit off the show entirely. Perfect. Edited January 2, 2020 by Supremo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeronimoJacksBeard Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 I’ve thought from the start the win/loss records and rankings stuff should be simply be used leading into a PPV, then clean slated ready for the next one each time. Keep the overall records, but just reference that when you need to for a storyline tool and focus on the “mini-season” period between PPVs. AEW don’t have PPVs so ridiculously frequently that it should be an issue and is short enough to keep viewers interest and attention on the records without them being ridiculous. Gimmick it up however, like you earn extra points for beating a top 10/top 5 whatever ranked wrestler rather than simply beating a bunch of jobbers or extra points for winning matches in sub 10/sub 5 mins or something. This gives reason and incentive for wrestlers to request matches with high ranking wrestlers if there’s no actual beef. Or for someone like MJF to dodge big matches, pick up easy wins and cheat to win matches quickly (Wardlow interference/attacking pre-match, etc). Someone like PAC to have a moan and calling bullshit that his overall record is being ignored for someone like Darby Allin suddenly being on a hot streak. Someone like Kenny Omega constantly being the nearly-man, always finishes just shy of the top spot to earn a title shot in a manner in which the audience feels he deserves the top spot. Do this for long enough, simply earning the top spot and title shot into the next PPV could be as meaningful as winning the title itself. I guess a problem with being leading into each PPV is not having your big match set in time, but again their PPVs are generally far enough apart that you could have the cut off 2 weeks or whatever before the PPV, with the TV being clear where you’re heading. “Darby Allin and Dustin Rhodes are eligible to challenge for the title, Dustin needs to beat a top 5 overall ranked star to secure his spot. Tonight he takes on Pac!” sort of thing. The post cut-off could create further storyline opportunities. It could be a great story-telling tool, giving reason and purpose to a load of matches, wins and losses actually mattering. They’re currently using it pretty poorly though and it means fuck nothing really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavemanLynn Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 If they're going to persist with featuring win/loss heavily, AEW, like a lot of their ideas, need to establish what they actually MEAN in AEW. Win/loss is fine, but especially in wrestling it doesn't tell the whole story. You've got time in-ring and opponent ranking to consider. As an extreme example, imagine a Kenny Omega 3 match streak vs a Goldberg 3 match streak - both 3 wins, both against mid tier opponents, but one with total in-ring of over 30 minutes while the other at half that. That's the story. That's the ongoing hook. But at the moment, it's just highlighting how even things are. A football style points system where a win count for more points than a draw, and a greater point increase than a loss's decrease, could be much more effective in widening the gaps and generating tension. If three wrestlers have each other's number and keep getting draws, inching up single points at a time, then the day one gets a win and leaps ahead 3 points becomes a big deal. The short term needs to be complemented by a long term goal too. A league would require a set number of matches per wrestler, which would likely entrench 50/50 booking even deeper. An alternative could be a set number of ranking matches per wrestler, meaning they can pick and choose depending on the angle and add stakes where needed. Imagine if Jericho loses the belt and needs to win 5 ranking matches to qualify for another shot, so he gets the Inner Circle to take hits and lay down for him to rack them up quick. Then imagine the heat if one, e.g. Hager, refuses. It would need a clear end goal still, and I simultaneously think going a whole season is too long, while going PPV to PPV would be too hot-shotty. Maybe a system where points are logged but can be cashed in for title opportunities or special stipulations would work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UK Kat Von D Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 After seeing Arn with Cody they are a much better fit than I thought they’d be. The grizzled old coach makes Cody look like a big deal and will draw great sympathy if the old boy gets smashed by Wardlow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love-Wilcox Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Best Dynamite of the year! Seriously though, that was a fantastic show. Here's hoping they can continue with the same quality throughout the rest of the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Chris B Posted January 3, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted January 3, 2020 Echoing everyone else's thoughts - that was as fun a show as they've done. A lot of good damage control done quite quickly. The idea that there's someone else behind the Dark Order was probably the plan all along, but I'm entertained by the thought everyone suddenly realised Uno didn't convince as a big bad and went into damage control. There are some fun theories on Reddit, with the top contenders for the 'exalted one' being Christopher Daniels (unlikely, but likely to join), Marty Scurll (most likely) and... Matt Hardy (due to Uno's 'Wonderful' reference - unlikely, but his contract does come up in a couple of months, so not impossible). Still holding out hope for Hangman joining the Inner Circle and feuding with Omega etc. He's got potential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVM Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 38 minutes ago, Chris B said: Â The idea that there's someone else behind the Dark Order was probably the plan all along, but I'm entertained by the thought everyone suddenly realised Uno didn't convince as a big bad and went into damage control. There are some fun theories on Reddit, with the top contenders for the 'exalted one' being Christopher Daniels (unlikely, but likely to join), Marty Scurll (most likely) and... Matt Hardy (due to Uno's 'Wonderful' reference - unlikely, but his contract does come up in a couple of months, so not impossible). Â Luke Harper I reckon... Assuming I wasn't dreaming that he got his release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted January 3, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted January 3, 2020 Doesn't Sami Callihan have a bit of a cultist gimmick? Or have I confused him with someone else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted January 3, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted January 3, 2020 5 minutes ago, Carbomb said: Doesn't Sami Callihan have a bit of a cultist gimmick? Or have I confused him with someone else? Close, Callihan has the cuntiest gimmick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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