The AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite Thread

[Mr Butternut Squash]

I've never seen someone eat a dive the way Jamie Hayter does. What a nut!

Old man rant . . . I really didn't like the Punk/MJF stuff. Completely took me out of the show. As cute as the Bret in Canada dynamic is for MJF, there's no real history there. They were willing to boo MJF and they had to muscle the crowd into the opposite direction. It was so weird. Punk resorting to cheap local sports team heat felt so forced and phoney it just needed thunderdome.wav over it. And why the hell would you encourage MJF to get cheered ANYWHERE?

It all adds to the jarring feeling I have watching AEW at the moment. Between Danielson switching heel just because, Cody pretending he's still babyface, Adam Cole and Britt Baker constantly popping the crowd - there's too many big names that lack constitution, or are swimming against the tide. It kills genuine investment. I don't like feeling that nothing matters and everyone is having a laugh playing along to some ironic, meta-work with no actual drama.

Edited December 10, 2021 by Mr Butternut Squash

[CavemanLynn]

Punk/MJF nd Danielson/Page are absolutely not being played meta. Neither Punk nor MJF are getting boos in their hometowns, and no one wants to boo handsome everyman Page, so Danielson has done completely the right thing and doubled down on his sadistic side to add some real spice to things. It wasn't like MJF suddenly started working face, going for sympathy and fiery comebacks; he still acted the prick and his hometown crowd lapped it up. AEW are making a big deal of being on tour, acknowledging the different venues, cities and states, and all the playful tribalism that goes with them. It's not contrary; it's actually the opposite in embracing the tide in every area they go. Cody is Cody, but at least his most recent promo came off as deliberately insincere instead of his usual stilted delivery to the confuddled reactions of everyone he's not the boss of. I don't think you're not in on any joke, or that nothing matters; it's just AEW maintains continuities, which means the angles you mentioned have weeks/months of lead-up that actually counts for something.

[Supremo]

I thought the Punk/MJF stuff on this show was easily the best thing they’ve done so far and came out of it absolutely desperate for them to put on more shows in Long Island. I didn’t think it was particularly forced, either. Both pops for MJF’s music told you what the crowd wanted. All MJF and Punk did was give them exactly that.

Didn’t Punk specifically mention that he waited to hear how the crowd reacted before cutting his promo? It wouldn’t surprise me at all if everything both he and MJF did was a riff on how the crowd responded, rather than something they planned ahead of time.

It didn’t take me out of the story, either. In the grand scheme of things both Punk and MJF are a pair of pricks, with huge egos, who’d take things to heart or get swooped up in a big reaction. It’s completely consistent with Punk’s character that if the crowd booed him, especially over someone like MJF, that he’d get all pissy and start slagging them off. Equally, it’s consistent with what a shallow, snide prick MJF is that he’d act like Billy Big Bollocks if he got huge cheers that he didn’t really deserve. Plus, as an added bonus; CM Punk acting like a prick further justifies that Eddie Kingston was right about him all along. Eddie Kingston is always right. Eddie Kingston is the man.

I loved it. Authentic, exciting, interesting TV. A million miles away from the last few weeks, where we had to suffer each guy delivering whatever shitty, “pipe bomb,” lines they’d had in their iPhone Notes app all week.

Edited December 10, 2021 by Supremo

[DavidB6937]

The MJF stuff was perfect. Not all heels need to go for the 101 slag off your hometown people for cheap heat stuff. He didn't come out a different man. He didn't suddenly act like he was the biggest face in the company and a goody goody. He just came home. I'm sure they were smart enough to know ahead of time that it would work like that. Unlike if you had a McMahon in charge who would automatically think to either bury the fuck out of you or probably just leave you off the card completely.

[Supremo]

Exactly. It would’ve been a different story if MJF was heroically saving the day or doing these huge babyface comebacks. Fucker was hiding behind Wardlow, getting cheap shots in, then betrayed his mate. He was the same MJF. The crowd just ate it up. Awesome.

[Tsurutagun]

Danielson turned into a prick when Page pointed out that he beat Omega in less than 30 mins. Danielson's pride was wounded and he's taken it out on Hangman's mates

In kayfabe, Punk wasn't expecting that reaction and his pride got hurt and he lashed out and used what he knew would get under the skins of the Long Island fans. As a massive hockey fan he went for the hockey team which is the only team of the big 4 sports based in Long Island.

Danielson and Punk in wrestling canon are underneath their nice guy exteriors actually massive dickheads, all it needs is things not to go their way. 

Edited December 10, 2021 by Tsurutagun

[Loki]

Jamie Hayter was the best thing about the show for me this week - she's a hoss and shouldn't be losing to an underdeveloped child.

Worst thing is Malachi Black now having the Undertaker-style power to get the lights turned off in the arena for his "spoopy" entrance or attack or whatever.  I wasn't a fan of his in WWE, and he's not doing it for me in AEW either.  That Dennis Nielsen character he was teasing in WWE just before he left looked a bit more sophisticated at least.

Someone mentioned the Blondes being too green for tv - whilst this is true, I think we can all agree that as long as they bring their valet, I'm happy to see them on any show.

[Mr Butternut Squash]

The crowd booed when MJF's music initially hit and there were anti-MJF signs everywhere. It all just seemed odd to me. I mean, it was entertaining stuff and I'm just old man rambling, really. I just really didn't like Punk turning on the fans so hard and suddenly. 

The Danielson stuff is good and makes sense with what they were given too.

I guess, what I'm getting at is, I'm a stickler for strong, clear, face/heel divides, with wrestlers getting the most out their natural crowd reactions. Keeping them in that lane and fucking with it as little as possible. That makes a better, hotter wrestling show for me. And right now it feels like a bit too many people are not in their natural role and getting the most potential out of them - Cody, Cole, Danielson, Britt, Sammy etc.  Again, it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. It's just that watching Punk shit on the sports team and MJF fake out a babyface save just added to the off-feeling.

Edited December 10, 2021 by Mr Butternut Squash

[Guest]

A lot of these things are moving parts to get to that position though.
Cody is building to him turning, that it’s slow and annoying is what everyone has screamed for on here to stop rushing things off one weeks actions in wwe. He’s gonna cheat to win the tnt title, I’ve no doubt in that 

Bryan is just doing an extended version of when Bret was in with faces, he’d play the heel but when done he’s not cheating to win, he’s just being the aggressor 

punks a dick, MJF is a dick. MJF played to home crowd and still acted like a dick. He wasn’t eddie guerrero winking at the crowd to enjoy his cheating, he just did dick move things 

Britt is gonna be turned on by Hayter sooner than later, we have seen the tension build. It’s all they have been paired together to set up as Britt already had Reba to do all Hayter has done. 

cole is already setting up with Fish and if the other lad comes in with him. Him playing for cheers with the baybay is easy to turn the crowd on him if he stops it after a turn on the bucks. If he does stop it, he’s about to lose about half of what’s interesting about him and his pipe cleaner limbs 

slow build is weird to get used to, but I don’t see anything saying they aren’t headed towards where you want to see most of the roster who are in flux 

[Factotum]

12 minutes ago, Louch said:

Bryan is just doing an extended version of when Bret was in with faces, he’d play the heel but when done he’s not cheating to win, he’s just being the aggressor 

Superb point and it's how I see it. He's being very Bret. He knows he's the best, he fights every show to prove it. Yet some Cowboy bloke is going around with the belt. He's pissed off at it. He's not even heeling it, he's just right, come on them I'll show you. I fucking love it. He's by far the best thing in that company.

[RedRooster]

3 hours ago, Chris B said:

It'd be goofy, but I quite like the idea on some levels. Dante and Julia are easily corrupted and brought into the House of Black - Cody's fighting it, and Pac is less affected by it. With it all being revealed at Winter Is Coming.

Was Dante hit with the black mist? Regardless, I like the idea of it being some kind of ‘tag’, he hasn’t been doing it because he is trying to harm the wrestlers, he’s marking them; before gradually breaking them down and luring them to his side. If you’re pure of heart like Cody, of course, you obviously won’t be swayed.

[Guest]

Seen a twitter article earlier alluding to Blacks mist causing the victim to enact the 7 deadly sins, but I didn’t read it as fuck that nonsense 

[quote the raven]

14 minutes ago, RedRooster said:

Was Dante hit with the black mist? Regardless, I like the idea of it being some kind of ‘tag’, he hasn’t been doing it because he is trying to harm the wrestlers, he’s marking them; before gradually breaking them down and luring them to his side. If you’re pure of heart like Cody, of course, you obviously won’t be swayed.

He purified himself with fire.

[LaGoosh]

2 hours ago, Mr Butternut Squash said:

It all adds to the jarring feeling I have watching AEW at the moment. Between Danielson switching heel just because, Cody pretending he's still babyface, Adam Cole and Britt Baker constantly popping the crowd - there's too many big names that lack constitution, or are swimming against the tide. It kills genuine investment. I don't like feeling that nothing matters and everyone is having a laugh playing along to some ironic, meta-work with no actual drama.

I've been feeling a bit similar recently actually. Acts just seem to be floundering a bit and there's not really many strong stories to get invested in and some of it feels all a bit wink wink nudge nudge. They need to pull their finger out.

[Supremo]

I’m assuming things will tighten up after a couple of big angles next week.

I’m absolutely terrified of the inevitable Undisputed Era reunion though. On paper it’s exciting, Fish and O’Reilly will make a great addition to the tag division and The Elite vs. Undisputed Era 6-man with either Omega or even Hangman is a real dream match, but how do you get there without The Young Bucks turning babyface? Good Guy Bucks?! No thanks! Just as Rey Mysterio should always be a babyface, Matt and Nick Jackson should always be heels.

But yeah. It’s SUUUUE! Amazing. Biggest smile on my face. When they were teasing someone saving Orange Cassidy I was half expecting Okada. What a time to be alive that when it ended up being Sue instead I was even happier than if it had been The Rainmaker himself! It bodes well for what surprises they must have ready for next week that they gave this away here.

Edited December 10, 2021 by Supremo