The AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite Thread

[Supremo]

As an anomaly, I’ve no problem with someone shooting up the rankings after taking the Champion to the limit. The reason it’s so shit in WWE is because that’s all they ever do. The only way anyone ever earns a Title shot is by beating the Champion in a non-title match first. It’s similar as to why I didn’t mind Ruby Soho’s WWE-style promo on Rampage last week, all catty and shooty. It works every now and then. Not so much when it’s all anyone ever does. Also helps that Britt Baker has better facial expressions and instincts on how to sell spiteful remarks than every woman in WWE’s roster combined.

I thought it was another phenomenal show but it definitely felt lacking in a big surprise debut or cliff-hanger angle. For the first time in ages it felt like a big, tent-pole event for AEW where we didn’t get one of those moments. Am I remembering it wrong or did Andrade specifically say on social media or on one of last week’s shows that he would be appearing? I’m more convinced than ever that Ric Flair was originally planned to appear as Andrade’s new manager but they correctly decided to bin the sex pest. Ric probably didn’t have time to fly in anyway, since I think he’s still deleting and re-posting his shit statements on Twitter.

Cody reacting to the boos, dressing like a prick and bringing back Brandi was thrilling. The last piece of the puzzle in this company is Cody going full Bret Hart about how the fans turned on him and how he never changed. If any company was going to read the room and turn Cody it’s AEW in 2021. Who knows, maybe he could eventually re-join The Elite once they’re all confirmed as baddies. Provided they actually want to be in the same room together, obviously.

Shout out to Bryan Danielson, who’s developed such an Everyman character that he can freely look delighted when crowds are going apeshit for the bell ringing and them locking up. Kenny Omega looked to be struggling to keep a straight face and not burst into the biggest smile to match Bryan’s. Wild scenes.

But yeah. Sting is genuinely in the running for my wrestler of the year. Of every wrestler who’s come into AEW and exposed WWE for how badly they’ve used people, I think Sting stands head and shoulders above everyone. Imagine having this man on your roster for years and paying him to either sit at home or lose to Triple H and Seth Rollins in overlong, shit matches. Fucking hell.

Edited September 23, 2021 by Supremo

[tiger_rick]

Arn completely fucked that didn't he? Got up on the apron, Cody had to tell him he was on the wrong bit, presumably because he was supposed to be distracting the crowd from Black's mist antics, Arn decided to go around the ring post which he's clearly not in any sort of shape for, fell off, and then climbed back up just about in time to collide with Cody. probably best never to refer to it again.

[DavidB6937]

Interested to see where Ruby goes next. While you can hotshot a guy like Bryan right into a title match without fear of him disappearing into obscurity after, someone like Ruby needs a little more support I think. Mostly because if you know her from WWE then you're not too familiar with her on a main event level, and if you're not familiar with her at all then you need a reason to care for her and want her to succeed. And they're quite hit and miss in the womens division for that. Obviously the finish doesn't make her look too weak. Wonder if she'll try and get some backup somehow.

[Chili]

Oh I felt awful for Arn, poor fucker missed the rope with his hand and clattered down. Honestly well done to him for recovering a bit and Cody/Black and the ref stalling. 

Loved the pop for Arn when he told Cody to get the fuck in the ring. 

@Supremo suggestion that Cody goes all Bret Hart quasi heel is a brilliant idea. I'd love that, and it makes a turn way less jarring. 

Edited September 23, 2021 by Chili

[BomberPat]

19 minutes ago, Supremo said:

As an anomaly, I’ve no problem with someone shooting up the rankings after taking the Champion to the limit. The reason it’s so shit in WWE is because that’s all they ever do. The only way anyone ever earns a Title shot is by beating the Champion in a non-title match first.

If they do go down that route, I hope it's not that simple. Don Callis should be losing his shit that it's not how you earn a title shot, and insisting that Danielson has to jump through hoops, while simultaneously pointing out that he couldn't beat Omega (while everyone else points out that Omega couldn't beat Bryan either). 

[Supremo]

Dream scenario is Don Callis sends all the Elite at Danielson to knock him down the rankings. Every Dynamite and Rampage it’s Danielson defending the spot against one of them.

I don’t know which I’d be more excited for. Danielson vs. Nick Jackson in a belter or Danielson vs. Brandon Cutler in a comedy match.

[BomberPat]

on the "is Cody turning heel?" thing, I honestly don't think they ever plan to turn him. I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being some melodramatic Dungeon of Doom stuff about how fighting Malakai is "bringing out his dark side".

[Nick James]

This is an interesting development, could this be the aid the Womens division needs, or is it falling into the old WWE trope of needing a title to create storylines?

 

 

Edited September 23, 2021 by Nick James

[Hannibal Scorch]

2 minutes ago, Nick James said:

This is an interesting development, could this be the aid the Womens division needs, or is it falling into the old WWE trope of needing a title to create storylines?

 

 

I think the TNT title has been a success. You have a lot of wrestlers, men and woman, who are upper mid card that could be helped by a secondary title. So I can only see this as a good thing. Not keen on the TBS name, though I get why. I think the whole Dynamite and TNT worked so well because of how the words are related, even though the network is TNT it seemed to me more a play on the title of the show. TBS doesn't fit nearly as well.

[BomberPat]

hopefully we get the ITV4 title next, and no one knows when it's meant to be defended, champions keep missing their matches, and the announce team routinely forget it exists.

[Perry]

Don't know how much of the story is true, but apparently the reason why ITV aren't going to air Rampage is because their deal with AEW comes to an end pretty soon and ITV don't have plans to renew. 

Edited September 23, 2021 by Perry

[DavidB6937]

2 minutes ago, Perry said:

Don't know how much of the story is true, but apparently the reason why ITV aren't going to air Rampage is because their deal with AEW comes to an end pretty soon and ITV don't have plans to renew. 

Of course they don't plan on renewing. That would involve actually remembering you have the show in the first place.

[Factotum]

I wonder if Sky will try and pick it up

[Perry]

2 minutes ago, DavidB6937 said:

Of course they don't plan on renewing. That would involve actually remembering you have the show in the first place.

I think they'll struggle to find a new home on any of the main channels in the UK.  Sky want nothing to do with wrestling these days.

[DavidB6937]

1 hour ago, Perry said:

I think they'll struggle to find a new home on any of the main channels in the UK.  Sky want nothing to do with wrestling these days.

Is that the case? Or they just felt like the WWE deal wasn't working out as it once was? I'm not completely sure of the ins and outs of why all of that fell apart in the end, but if they've got their finger on the pulse then they've got to be aware of AEW's current momentum. If they could put a good deal together for everyone involved then I'd be very surprised if they didn't give it a go.