Jump to content

The AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite Thread


MPDTT

Recommended Posts

I enjoyed the main event, and the opener wasn’t bad. 
 

Felt a bit small potatoes though, the whole show.

What the fuck has happened to Christian? His charisma seems to have got lost on his way over from the Thunderdome. Can’t believe they’ve booked Cosplay Benoit vs Kazarian, either. Shit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members

Viewed in isolation, that Lucha Bros/Young Bucks six man tag followed by the Kenny Omega angle was some of the best pro-wrestling telly in ages. Super fun match, one of Kenny’s best promos in AEW thus far, great character work, advanced the storyline brilliantly, great spot when Kenny got the microphone kicked into his face. It had everything...except for the fact that Penta took about five steps backwards.

The last few weeks felt like a revelation, with Penta finally stepping up, but then here he was just being a flashy spot guy again. Translator aside it was like the last few weeks hadn’t even happened. I’ve got enough faith in AEW that I expect they’ll eventually go back to him being the crazy skeleton that breaks arms, but it definitely took the wind out of his sails being just another Luchador here.

The Pinnacle are already one of my favourite factions of all time. They’re awesome. Hopefully the introduction of nicknames for FTR stick, too. Phase their previous names out. Cash Money and Dax the Axe are far better.

Edited by Supremo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Supremo said:

The Pinnacle are already one of my favourite factions of all time. They’re awesome. Hopefully the introduction of nicknames for FTR stick, too. Phase their previous names out. Cash Money and Dax the Axes are far better.

No chance unless they replace Shawn Spears with someone, he looks terrible and out of place. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members
2 hours ago, Supremo said:

Viewed in isolation, that Lucha Bros/Young Bucks six man tag followed by the Kenny Omega angle was some of the best pro-wrestling telly in ages. Super fun match, one of Kenny’s best promos in AEW thus far, great character work, advanced the storyline brilliantly, great spot when Kenny got the microphone kicked into his face. It had everything...except for the fact that Penta took about five steps backwards.

The last few weeks felt like a revelation, with Penta finally stepping up, but then here he was just being a flashy spot guy again. Translator aside it was like the last few weeks hadn’t even happened. I’ve got enough faith in AEW that I expect they’ll eventually go back to him being the crazy skeleton that breaks arms, but it definitely took the wind out of his sails being just another Luchador here.

Yeah, totally agree. Cody being slinged up was good, at least. While they weren't totally wasting Penta (Abrahantes being hilarious again, and taking out Kenny afterwards), this felt like a move to simmering when the time was right to bring it to the boil. I get that reintroducing Lerado Kid was important, and the three of them were cool as fuck together. But if this is as far as they go with Penta, it's a massive waste.

One bit in that match made me laugh because it was such a wrestling thing. "The Bucks didn't see Laredo Kid setting up for that dive!" just made me think "yeah, he's so easy to lose track of in his giant sparkly mask". There's no other circumstance where someone dressed like that getting up on a turnbuckle would be a sneaky or subtle move. 

Still don't give a fuck about QT Marshall. I liked some of Cody's promo, but the whole "I won't hit my finishers because you're my best friend" is weird. It's such an anachronistic point that it made Cody seem really, really patronising. If, at least, Cody had made clear "these are the moves I use to put people out, and I know they could put someone on the shelf", it might have helped but it needed to go both ways - if they're doing an exhibition, it's 'we're not trying to injure each other. I won't use the cross-rhodes or the figure-four if you don't use the diamond cutter'.

Kenny Omega is awesome. Really fun opener and the stuff with the Bucks and the Lucha Bros was tremendous. That thumbs up at the end had me laughing out loud. 

Other than that, it was a show. Not a memorable one, but solid. I'll be interested in how Darby did in the ratings, because he does feel like a star. He's not there YET, but he's getting there.

Edit: Oh, forgot! Miro's been really improving recently. The little threats he puts into things are superb - the line about 'the match YOU asked for, Kip' and the chest-slap, while plausibly sounding like he was pumping him up, was legitimately a little bit scary. If they land this well, with Miro just beating the piss out of Kip, it could set him up really well.

Edited by Chris B
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members

the QT Marshall story is typical of self-contained Cody Rhodes storytelling, and Cody being The Most Important. 

QT was teaming with Dustin Rhodes, they fell out, QT walked out on Dustin in the Tag Team Battle Royal - and QT's motivation is to get a match with Cody. Not Dustin. 

And on the "QT Marshall has always been in Cody's shadow!", it just reminds me of the practically back-to-back stories of "Shawn Spears is Cody's best friend!" and "MJF is Cody's best friend!" to set up those stories. It's WWE "tell, don't show" storytelling to just have someone who's never really had any substantial interaction with another character just tell the audience "we're best friends" for the sole purpose of ending that friendship. QT Marshall has teamed with Cody once, two years ago. They've barely interacted, yet now we're being told that QT was a devoted friend who's sick of being in Cody's shadow. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, BomberPat said:

the QT Marshall story is typical of self-contained Cody Rhodes storytelling, and Cody being The Most Important. 

QT was teaming with Dustin Rhodes, they fell out, QT walked out on Dustin in the Tag Team Battle Royal - and QT's motivation is to get a match with Cody. Not Dustin. 

And on the "QT Marshall has always been in Cody's shadow!", it just reminds me of the practically back-to-back stories of "Shawn Spears is Cody's best friend!" and "MJF is Cody's best friend!" to set up those stories. It's WWE "tell, don't show" storytelling to just have someone who's never really had any substantial interaction with another character just tell the audience "we're best friends" for the sole purpose of ending that friendship. QT Marshall has teamed with Cody once, two years ago. They've barely interacted, yet now we're being told that QT was a devoted friend who's sick of being in Cody's shadow. 

I get this but QT has interacted with Cody all the time. They're in the same group and it's acknowledged that he trains his pupils. 

I like the QT angle. I don't like him much, but I like his trajectory has been the reliable trainer, thrown a bone by his mate starting the company, and he's just not good enough. Jack of all trades, master of none. He forms a tag team with a legend to help him, does ok. But doesn't really get beyond the also rans. Then because he's low on compliments and the Butcher, Blade and Bunny are agents of chaos, Allie bigs QT up and starts hanging round him. Never stated or shown to be an affair, it was QT just getting attention but to eventually debase him. Then you also have everyone is like 'we don't trust Allie much' but she wasn't doing enough to be a full shit. Then she turns and we had that banging Bunkhouse Match where nobodby remembers again. Parking Lot Brawl, backstage FCA match with the Bucks, all remembered, but not the Bunkhouse Match. QT even mentioned it off hand like the achievement and lack of acknowledgement work. The Lee Johnson accidentally forgets to namedrop him for the training on his first win and the straw broke. All the other hell behaviour from QT since is a man wrestling with the security of hanging with the Nightmare Family and a safe bet, or the annoyance at being told 'Yeah but your QT Marshall' and just going along with it when he's too self underutilised and internally arrogant. Totally get why he's pissed at Cody. In his head, he's the problem, it's actually QT who has a bit of an opinion of himself and really should have spoke up sooner. Instead, you get a heel turn and probably taking Nick Comoroto with him and maybe a few others. It's Bruno/Larry again but it's 2021 so I don't know how that angle plays today. Also if he faced Dustin first it would have prolonged it a bit, you really want that?

and there we go, the longest defence of QT Marshall's story arc because even boring people can have an interesting tale. I need my meds.

Edited by Chili
Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, DavidB6937 said:

Blimey. We found QT's fan!

Just trying to justify an angle, We give AEW all the due in the world for when they turn angle round and we all love to delve into the nuances of say Hangman Page etc. This actually could end up being something passable or above if it clicks. I'd have used somebody else, like tweaked it and gone with Dustin, but maybe that would be too soon for something they wanna do later. Cody is Sting in AEW. Every fucker will turn on him soon.

How many of us really wanted the Dark Order this time last year. We were all taking the piss out of Brodie doing Vince McMahon and how Evil Uno looked like a fat fuck. 

Edited by Chili
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members
3 hours ago, Chris B said:

I'll be interested in how Darby did in the ratings, because he does feel like a star. He's not there YET, but he's getting there.

His main event against Brian Cage also drew a strong number. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, The King Of Swing said:

Personally I hope QT rips Cody's arm out of it's socket.

Honestly can't tell if Cody is slow burn turning or if he's genuinely oblivious to how much of an overbearing prick he has become.

I don't think he's turning, QT was clearly supposed to be the heel in this pairing. As far as his actions go, it's hard to tell if he's oblivious, or just trying to book a complex character and failing, much as The Bucks did when they were superkicking Schiavone and Marvez. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members
1 hour ago, Chili said:

I get this but QT has interacted with Cody all the time. They're in the same group and it's acknowledged that he trains his pupils. 

I like the QT angle. I don't like him much, but I like his trajectory has been the reliable trainer, thrown a bone by his mate starting the company, and he's just not good enough. Jack of all trades, master of none. He forms a tag team with a legend to help him, does ok. But doesn't really get beyond the also rans. Then because he's low on compliments and the Butcher, Blade and Bunny are agents of chaos, Allie bigs QT up and starts hanging round him. Never stated or shown to be an affair, it was QT just getting attention but to eventually debase him. Then you also have everyone is like 'we don't trust Allie much' but she wasn't doing enough to be a full shit. Then she turns and we had that banging Bunkhouse Match where nobodby remembers again. Parking Lot Brawl, backstage FCA match with the Bucks, all remembered, but not the Bunkhouse Match. QT even mentioned it off hand like the achievement and lack of acknowledgement work. The Lee Johnson accidentally forgets to namedrop him for the training on his first win and the straw broke. All the other hell behaviour from QT since is a man wrestling with the security of hanging with the Nightmare Family and a safe bet, or the annoyance at being told 'Yeah but your QT Marshall' and just going along with it when he's too self underutilised and internally arrogant. Totally get why he's pissed at Cody. In his head, he's the problem, it's actually QT who has a bit of an opinion of himself and really should have spoke up sooner. Instead, you get a heel turn and probably taking Nick Comoroto with him and maybe a few others. It's Bruno/Larry again but it's 2021 so I don't know how that angle plays today. Also if he faced Dustin first it would have prolonged it a bit, you really want that?

and there we go, the longest defence of QT Marshall's story arc because even boring people can have an interesting tale. I need my meds.

For what it's worth, this is all bang on the money. But I still don't care about him.

Some of this is on AEW - they've done enough of the storytelling that that's there (and I'm a big one for rewarding regular viewing). And I don't think they should overexplain it to the point where it's hitting you over the head with it. But it's also calling back to stuff from over a year ago, that very few people remember or care about - they did a nice video package back then about him, too. But they're leaving it up to us to give a shit. Sometimes, that works. QT probably needs a bit more help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members
2 hours ago, RedRooster said:

I don't think he's turning, QT was clearly supposed to be the heel in this pairing. As far as his actions go, it's hard to tell if he's oblivious, or just trying to book a complex character and failing, much as The Bucks did when they were superkicking Schiavone and Marvez. 

I definitely think he is giving it the slow burn. Cody isn't the oblivious fool that people try and make out these days. You can tell he's desperate to be a heel, and he always tends to that, even when he could have been (should have been) a pure babyface. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...