AEW Full Gear 2021 (Sat 13th Nov)

[Guest]

I just love that aew itself on twitter, and now it’s champion have acknowledged and recommended people watch those fan made videos. It’s still shocking to me they didn’t do their own version of them. Massive change from most places copyright striking things made with good intentions 

[BomberPat]

12 hours ago, Merzbow said:

Not just apron shots, there were multiple times where spots were repeated between two or more matches which makes me wonder who the hell is agenting/producing here?

This has been a problem with AEW since the beginning - part of their selling point is that they don't "restrain" wrestlers the way WWE do, and allow them a lot more creative freedom, but at some point there needs to be a buffer to say, "nah, you can't do that, Punk's already doing it in his match".

They have so many presumably talented agents there, many - like Dustin, Arn and Malenko - with WWE experience, so you'd think they'd get the hang of this. I don't think this show was the most egregious for it, because there were enough stylistically different matches, but it's something they need to improve on, for sure.

[Guest]

The last few week have been terrible for lack of restraint in repetition. They had fixed a lit of this but it’s crept back from dynamite and Saturday. 

[Factotum]

Yeah, stop with the flip offs. If you look at Hangman's version of that (the getting in Omega's face after the kicks) it worked much more effectively.

 

[Supremo]

I’m really surprised by the reaction to the MJF match. Almost every take has been about him, “proving the haters wrong,” and demonstrating that he’s, “more than just a gimmick.” But was that really the criticism of MJF before Saturday? I thought everyone already knew he was a good wrestler with the ability to have great matches with the right opponents. He’s had some belters with the likes of Sammy Guevara and Jungle Boy already.

Frankly, I enjoy MJF’s matches more than his promos recently for the simple fact that bar maybe whipping his cock out there isn’t really an in-ring equivalent of the edge lord, shock~! stuff he does on the mic. As @BomberPattouched on - MJF just being a cheating little prick is brilliant. It’s when he tries too hard and is searching for the OMG Reddit reactions that everything falls apart.

That’s why this feud with Allin has been one of the better things he’s ever done. Other than the one isolated, “LOL your relative died in a car accident,” it’s been a relatively bog-standard affair, with MJF succeeding at the most basic of heel traits. Cheap-shotting guys like Sting, cowering away when the odds are even or just pulling a weapon out of his trunks is where the money is with MJF. That’s when I want to see him lose. All the dead relative, your sister is a slag, that’s-right-I-said-it stuff is pure, tragic go-away heat. You’d roll your eyes and block him on Twitter in an instant. It’s the same energy.

But yeah. Wardlow to win the Diamond Ring this year, surely? And whilst we’re at it, have they ever done a Four Way with all Four Pillars? I bet that would be fantastic, both from an in-ring perspective and to see if Jim Ross continues to call them the, “Four Pillows.”

Edited November 16, 2021 by Supremo

[tiger_rick]

1 hour ago, Factotum said:

Yeah, stop with the flip offs. If you look at Hangman's version of that (the getting in Omega's face after the kicks) it worked much more effectively.

 

It's very attitude era. You've got the top guys and the big stories where a middle finger or swearing really adds something but then it's very quickly all up and down the card to the point where everyone is doing it. I don't think it's harming the bigger deals, certainly not for me, but that's possibly just from being invested.

They're generally sensible with the use of blood. It's for emphasis and used sparingly. Just treat the other things like that.

[BomberPat]

4 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

I don't think it's harming the bigger deals, certainly not for me, but that's possibly just from being invested.

Yeah, I don't think Eddie Kingston giving Punk the middle finger and getting in his face is devalued by having other people on the card do it, and that's because Kingston is just better at it, so seeing a bargain basement equivalent isn't going to detract from it. I'd still rather that sort of thing was done more sparingly, though.

One that got me recently was PAC sitting down a la Malakai Black and giving Black the finger. It would be a really impactful image, and showing that finally there's someone who's unafraid to take it straight to Black and not be intimidated by his mind games - if Brandi Rhodes hadn't done the same thing as a completely throwaway moment in the second Cody/Malakai match.

[Supremo]

I’ve watched the Punk vs. Kingston match about ten times now. The look on Eddie’s face as he walks to the ring, looking equally furious, fired up and on the brink of tears is unbelievable. I’ll never get over this man being on the brink of retirement rather than being lauded as one of the best to ever do it.

After, “William Regal teaches you to step forward with your left foot,” the second class everyone getting into this business should learn is, “the eyes of Eddie Kingston - how to tell a thousand stories without saying or doing anything.”

[Loki]

On 11/15/2021 at 9:50 PM, Merzbow said:

Not just apron shots, there were multiple times where spots were repeated between two or more matches which makes me wonder who the hell is agenting/producing here?

Also, who told everyone they could say fuck? That should have really only been a one off thing for Kingston, the impact lessens every time some other cunt shouts it.

This was really noticeable in this PPV - they even had the Eddie Guererro 3 amigos tribute spot in two separate matches!  I know they don't want to over-produce the product, but it's areas like this where WWE style makes sense.

I'm glad to see a new champ.  As passionate and athletic as Omega is, he's just not for me.  I find myself zoning out during his matches as I know that until we get into his set finish routine, trading V-Triggers and going for, then failing, then going for the 1 Winged Angel, it's all just padding.  Now, this is true of wrestling generally but his matches I find so performative that I don't get into them.

Eddie v Punk on the other hand was great, and although I'm disappointed they didn't change plans and go with the Kingston moment (a bit Vince of them) the match cemented Punk for me as a heel.  Kingston needs to start winning matches though, and big ones otherwise they'll miss the boat with him.  He's not going to get more ready than now.

[BomberPat]

13 minutes ago, Loki said:

I'm disappointed they didn't change plans and go with the Kingston moment

I don't think he needed it - Kingston lampshaded it before the match by saying he didn't care about beating Punk, he just wanted to fight him, and I'd say he earned as much through a hard fought loss and the refusal to shake Punk's hand as he would have done from a win. I'm hoping we get a rematch, and I'd love to see Eddie picking up some big wins, but he's a guy who doesn't need a win streak to give him credibility, and whose character doesn't become stronger by winning - everything great about him is just as strong in defeat.

[The King of Old School]

I do agree with Kingston needing a big win somewhere though.

I hope they keep him and Punk bubbling under the surface but don't actually do a rematch for a good while yet.

Who do you put Kingston up against in the meantime though?

[HarmonicGenerator]

1 hour ago, Loki said:

This was really noticeable in this PPV - they even had the Eddie Guererro 3 amigos tribute spot in two separate matches!  I know they don't want to over-produce the product, but it's areas like this where WWE style makes sense.

I'd put that down to the fact the show took place on the anniversary of Eddie's death. There were two tribute Frog Splashes on the night as well. AEW certainly have a repetition problem but I think these ones can be considered a chance for anybody who wanted to to pay tribute to Guerrero.

[Infinity Land]

13 minutes ago, HarmonicGenerator said:

I'd put that down to the fact the show took place on the anniversary of Eddie's death. There were two tribute Frog Splashes on the night as well. AEW certainly have a repetition problem but I think these ones can be considered a chance for anybody who wanted to to pay tribute to Guerrero.

Anniversary of his death, in the city he died in, and the building his tribute shows took place.

[Winston]

Filmed just before Full Gear, obviously in a lot of pain.

He was still able to do a great job in making Hangman on Saturday now I hope he's able to take a long time off and get properly healed up.

[Loki]

As someone with historic back issues, I like a hard massage as much as the next man, but I think I'd draw the line at the mallet and giant screw.  WTF? 

...

I didn't know about the Eddie anniversary connection so that makes more sense, I still think the Lucha Bros match was the place for it.  Incidentally, Penta's suplexes are weird, he kind of rolls backwards rather than lifts up and over, is that a lucha technique or just him?