Other AEW shows discussion (Dark, Elevation, BTE, whatever else)

[Lorne Malvo]

Really fun match on last night's Elevation between Butcher, Blade & Kip vs 3 DDT guys. I really like when AEW decide to showcase wrestlers and styles from around the world that otherwise wouldn't get much of a spotlight. They had something similar going on in their early days with OWE and StrongHearts but that suddenly ended, so hopefully the DDT relationship continues a while if they are producing guys like the 3 here and Takeshita. 

Edited April 11, 2023 by Lorne Malvo

[Tim Healys Chutney Spoon]

Just watched episode 1 of All Access with the wife and ww both said 'that was pretty decent'. I think as fans we sometimes forget that off screen they are people with feelings and problems just like the rest of us. 

 

Did like the stuff with Britt and how she's trying to help the women's division. Plus of course her obvious love of Adam Cole, who came across as a really nice bloke.

 

One thing that stood out for us was how much those guys take it seriously and what it means to them. Plus the obvious heat on Thunder Rosa in the women's division. Not sure we'll see her back...

[Infinity Land]

17 minutes ago, Big'Olympic_Hero'Pete said:

One thing that stood out for us was how much those guys take it seriously and what it means to them. Plus the obvious heat on Thunder Rosa in the women's division. Not sure we'll see her back...

She's been back on the road doing Spanish commentary for a couple of months now. When she came back there were reports that she made a public apology to the locker room.

[The King Of Swing]

So what actually happened with Rosa? I thought she was actually injured.

I remember some accusations that she sand bagged someone and vague stuff about backstage heat but didn't pay it much attention. 

[Hannibal Scorch]

3 hours ago, The King Of Swing said:

So what actually happened with Rosa? I thought she was actually injured.

I remember some accusations that she sand bagged someone and vague stuff about backstage heat but didn't pay it much attention. 

She is injured, but she also was accused of sandbagging and poor attitude generally backstage. Was real heat on her, although she’s apparently apologised for that.

[Infinity Land]

8 hours ago, The King Of Swing said:

So what actually happened with Rosa? I thought she was actually injured.

I remember some accusations that she sand bagged someone and vague stuff about backstage heat but didn't pay it much attention. 

Around the time she won the title there was talk of a lingering back injury. In matches against Marina Shafir and Jamie Hayter this would be used as a defense that she wasn't sandbagging, but having problems due to the back issue. This won't wash with most of the locker room. As you see in the first or second episode of All Access, Britt takes a painkiller in her back so that she could wrestle. Basically everyone has a complaint over back issues or some sort of injury. It wouldn't be an excuse to be sloppy.

Couple weeks before All Out Thunder Rosa was pulled from the title match. The interim title created resentment as people saw this as dodging dropping the title, and Interim titles just cause problems generally as seen with Moxley also complaining being lumped with the Interim belt. Thunder Rosa said at the time, and since due to All Access, she wanted to drop the title but Tony Khan said no.

Publicly Thunder Rosa carried on as normal. Doing her blogs, extensive travelling, making appearances. Which didn't exactly help the perception of someone meant to be injured. It was really only once she was stripped of the title she scaled back on social media with apparent efforts being made to focus on her recovery.

 

[Loki]

1 hour ago, Infinity Land said:

As you see in the first or second episode of All Access, Britt takes a painkiller in her back so that she could wrestle.

It's quite worrying that this is presented as the "normal" and expected behaviour, whereas taking time off due to injury is seen as unprofessional.  Given the terrible problems and deaths from painkiller addiction in wrestling, I'd hoped the newer generation were better at managing their careers and injuries.

[Infinity Land]

36 minutes ago, Loki said:

It's quite worrying that this is presented as the "normal" and expected behaviour, whereas taking time off due to injury is seen as unprofessional.  Given the terrible problems and deaths from painkiller addiction in wrestling, I'd hoped the newer generation were better at managing their careers and injuries.

That'd be retirement then.

In Britt's case she's hunched over dental patients during the week. Sat for hours on flights. It's not necessarily the back bumps every other week that's causing chronic back pain. Otherwise offices across the world wouldn't be filled with standing desks.

[Nick James]

4 minutes ago, Infinity Land said:

That'd be retirement then.

In Britt's case she's hunched over dental patients during the week. Sat for hours on flights. It's not necessarily the back bumps every other week that's causing chronic back pain. Otherwise offices across the world wouldn't be filled with standing desks.

Thats kind of irrelevant to the point being made. The point is that if there is still the mentality of 'suck it up and take some painkillers' instead of taking time off to rest an injury, then thats a problem. How you get said injury has nothing to do with it. 

[Supremo]

Presumably recognising it as another AEW show and picking it up on my series link, I noticed my Sky Plus had recorded Episode 1 of All Access, so I watched it this morning. I wasn’t even aware it was airing in the UK.

It’s exactly what you’d expect. Really phoney, E!-style reality TV. I’m sure it appeals to a certain demographic, but personally I just found it an incredibly frustrating watch because all the bad acting was getting in the way of the stuff I’m actually interested in.

Somewhere in the edit there’s a fascinating show for nerds like me. Seeing the locker rooms listed, with the EVPs, Sting and Chris Jericho having their own private rooms. Of course Jericho has his own locker room! Seeing the Young Bucks going through spots before the show, talking about how the new ring is less bouncy. I’d love to see how they put together a match and somehow remember and execute it so flawlessly. Seeing Britt Baker have infinitely more sexual chemistry with Chad Wardlow than her little rat of a boyfriend. They should turn that into a storyline where Wardlow smashes Adam Cole and steals his girl. Plus, if nothing else, I’d watch an hour of Tony Khan in Gorilla. It had the exact same energy as this meme. God bless that mental, rich weirdo.

 

[Guest]

@Supremohas that auto recorded on ITV? 

[Infinity Land]

9 minutes ago, Nick James said:

Thats kind of irrelevant to the point being made. The point is that if there is still the mentality of 'suck it up and take some painkillers' instead of taking time off to rest an injury, then thats a problem. How you get said injury has nothing to do with it. 

I've simplified things by calling it a painkiller. Rather than an injection of an unspecified steroid administered by a Doctor specialising in Osteopathic Medicine.

You've simplified things by calling it an injury. That can be simply healed up with some rest.

[CavemanLynn]

19 minutes ago, Supremo said:

Presumably recognising it as another AEW show and picking it up on my series link, I noticed my Sky Plus had recorded Episode 1 of All Access, so I watched it this morning. I wasn’t even aware it was airing in the UK.

It’s exactly what you’d expect. Really phoney, E!-style reality TV. I’m sure it appeals to a certain demographic, but personally I just found it an incredibly frustrating watch because all the bad acting was getting in the way of the stuff I’m actually interested in.

Somewhere in the edit there’s a fascinating show for nerds like me. Seeing the locker rooms listed, with the EVPs, Sting and Chris Jericho having their own private rooms. Of course Jericho has his own locker room! Seeing the Young Bucks going through spots before the show, talking about how the new ring is less bouncy. I’d love to see how they put together a match and somehow remember and execute it so flawlessly. Seeing Britt Baker have infinitely more sexual chemistry with Chad Wardlow than her little rat of a boyfriend. They should turn that into a storyline where Wardlow smashes Adam Cole and steals his girl. Plus, if nothing else, I’d watch an hour of Tony Khan in Gorilla. It had the exact same energy as this meme. God bless that mental, rich weirdo.

 

Agreed. It shouldn't a full-blown ~RASSLING EXPOSED~ kayfabe-obliterating expose, but seeing the structure and workings of AEW day-to-day as well as the real lifestyles and health concerns among the talent would be fascinating and, in my opinion, a really important change in the perception and treatment of wrestling and wrestlers. Funnily enough, some of the things AEW claimed they'd be doing different to WWE.

Re: the bumps and bruises, the more things change, the more they stay the same, I guess. Old school workers worked basic matches in stiff rings for longevity, and often still ended up badly crocked. Rings got softened up, but that simply meant work got riskier and more impactful, and so the cycle continues.

Out of sight, out of mind is also an issue with wrestling, whether it's fickle fans or stretched bookers. I'm watching the Reliving The War series on Youtube, and I'm at 1997. I'd assumed Owen Hart's piledriver to Stone Cold took Austin out for weeks, but in actual fact he was back working angles within a fortnight, for fear of losing his momentum, push and spot. Without healthcare being provided by the employers, this kind of thing is going to continue. Even someone like Britt obviously has to keep working to pay the bills and maintain her lifestyle. Perhaps shows like this will also provide an alternative outlet and opportunity for talent, so they can (to put it in pretty cold business terminology) maintain their RTV.

I'll be giving this a chance, and Watching this Wrestling related show.

Edited April 17, 2023 by CavemanLynn

[Lorne Malvo]

I'm enjoying All Access but I never expected it to be anything more than a trashy reality TV show, akin to Total Divas and Rhodes to The Top. Obviously it's all just as scripted as Dynamite and probably only working to set-up a Thunder Rosa/Britt Baker worked-shoot feud when Rosa returns, but it's fun seeing these people in a different environment.

It's always interesting having the tiniest glimpse behind the curtain too, as manufactured as that glimpse may be. John Cena being the most boring black hole of charisma despite being a cracking actor was one of my favourite revelations from Total Bellas.

[JLM]

Emi Sakura continued her run of strong matches against Mizuki in the main event on Elevation this week. Would have loved to see them get more time as what they managed to pack in was good stuff. 
 

Only seen Mizuki once before on the Mutoh retirement show but she’s great. She is basically Riho with the added bonus of a very cool signature move that I haven’t seen anyone else do. The whirling candy, which is a running cross body block with a quick rotation thrown in just at the point of impact. Had to rewind it the first time I saw it because it appears to defy physics and gravity in real time. 
 

Highlight of Dark was a kid ominously holding a crudely made “I came to get Rock Hard” sign right behind Juice Robinson’s head, rendering Excalibur unable to commentate the match. Iron Savages match was a lot of fun.

 

I also think Marina Shafir is starting to get it. No promos any time soon please but her in ring work is clicking a bit better. I really like the idea of her letting the jobber take the first hold and then dominating from there with the judo/mma hybrid stuff. The match feels like MMA fighter vs Pro wrestler and it completely sets her apart from the rest of the division. If she keeps improving with the timing and sticks with the simple mma fighter gimmick I think she could be pretty good. Never thought I’d be saying that. 

Edited April 19, 2023 by JLM