Double or Nothing 2022

[Vamp]

If it is a work it's a painfully pathetic one. 

"We're a bit worried no one is going to buy this PPV. What should we do? Add an extra match? Improve a storyline Get someone to cut an impassioned promo?"

"Nah, let's have one of the guys no show a scheduled appearance."

"Wow Tony, toss me off like one of your dogs."

[DavidB6937]

9 minutes ago, Jonny Vegas said:

Spoiled brat MJF throwing his toys out the pram and no showing an appearance is totally in line with what his character would do. This isn't their top baby face doing it.

AEW don't have a casual fanbase it's nearly exclusively internet fans. Twitter is trending with people discussing it and I'm sure all sorts of message boards are. Its created extra discussion about the show in the wake of strong competition for viewers with a big NBA game on.

Whether it does result in more actual buys, who knows. However I would argue that nobody who was going to watch it now wont due to a vague internet rumour and MAYBE some who weren't going to watch it do so, to see what happens.

You are going to lose your shit when you find out the Undertaker and Kane aren't actually brothers.

It's not in line with what they've established for him though. They've established on a regular basis that he's happy to turn up, fleece the fans for whatever money he can and make them look stupid and take advantage of them. That's MJF. Not the guy who doesn't turn up and do signings. If they were going to take that route with him, they could have a long time ago.

If they were going to "work" everyone they could've easily had him turn up, get into an argument with someone etc. Do something for the Twitter chat and the YouTube accounts and all that.

But literally screwing a ton of fans over? That's not a work.

And considering MJF/Wardlow is probably the best built thing on the entire fucking card anyway, if someone wasn't already buying it for that then they're not paying £20 just to see if he turns up. They'll look on Twitter or watch a YouTube clip or go and watch wrestling.

So no real extra PPV buys. Losing however much at the fan meet due to loss on photos and autos etc. If it is a work then it's the dumbest thing Tony has done since deciding working with Jay Lethal was a good idea.

[RedRooster]

10 minutes ago, Jonny Vegas said:

AEW don't have a casual fanbase it's nearly exclusively internet fans.

Prove it. Also, the phrase ‘internet fans’ is very 2003. 

If Twitter, which you cited, was reflective of even a minority opinion for those who attend AEW live events, then Jay Lethal would have been booed at least a little on his debut, and Darby Allin wouldn’t be receiving overwhelming cheers on a weekly basis. Twitter shouldn’t be used as an indication of anything, in any situation. 

[Jonny Vegas]

8 minutes ago, DavidB6937 said:

It's not in line with what they've established for him though. They've established on a regular basis that he's happy to turn up, fleece the fans for whatever money he can and make them look stupid and take advantage of them. That's MJF. Not the guy who doesn't turn up and do signings. If they were going to take that route with him, they could have a long time ago.

If they were going to "work" everyone they could've easily had him turn up, get into an argument with someone etc. Do something for the Twitter chat and the YouTube accounts and all that.

But literally screwing a ton of fans over? That's not a work.

And considering MJF/Wardlow is probably the best built thing on the entire fucking card anyway, if someone wasn't already buying it for that then they're not paying £20 just to see if he turns up. They'll look on Twitter or watch a YouTube clip or go and watch wrestling.

So no real extra PPV buys. Losing however much at the fan meet due to loss on photos and autos etc. If it is a work then it's the dumbest thing Tony has done since deciding working with Jay Lethal was a good idea.

Again your main argument against it being a work is whether its a good idea/will work or whether its the work you'd have done.

My opinion is that it is quite clearly a work regardless of whether or not it makes sense to you.

The only outcome tonight which will make me believe its not a work is if he isn't there whatsoever and they make an out of character announcement about it and why.

As I've said before, you and others believe whatever you would like to. 👍

Edited May 29, 2022 by Jonny Vegas

[LWOLeN]

NBA Finals is going to Game 7 which could cost AEW tons of PPV buys. 

Full panic mode.

So yes, they are doing everything they can to make AEW ‘must see’.

You are all a bunch of marks.

 

Edited May 29, 2022 by LWOLeN

[Jonny Vegas]

6 minutes ago, RedRooster said:

Prove it. Also, the phrase ‘internet fans’ is very 2003. 

If Twitter, which you cited, was reflective of even a minority opinion for those who attend AEW live events, then Jay Lethal would have been booed at least a little on his debut, and Darby Allin wouldn’t be receiving overwhelming cheers on a weekly basis. Twitter shouldn’t be used as an indication of anything, in any situation. 

Something which I believe has been done to get people talking about a wrestling show tonight is trending on twitter but I shouldn't use that as an indication as to whether or not it was done to get people talking about it, or whether it's working, when 90% or more of the talking about wrestling is done on the internet?

Logic.

Edited May 29, 2022 by Jonny Vegas

[RedRooster]

3 minutes ago, Jonny Vegas said:

Something which I believe has been done to get people talking about a wrestling show tonight is trending on twitter but I shouldn't use that as an indication as to whether or not it was done to get people talking about it, or whether it's working, when 90% or more of the talking about wrestling is done on the internet?

Logic.

See, you’re equating ‘belief’ to fact, and then you’ve followed it up with another statement that is impossible to prove. 

You can believe as hard as you want, it doesn’t make it true. 

[DavidB6937]

And all of this is making Page/Punk feel even more irrelevant. If anything needed a pre-PPV work..

[Supremo]

In instances like this, when something is widely reported as a shoot, have the, “it’s obviously a work, can’t believe you’re falling for it,” guys ever actually been right? Feels like we go through this contrarian nonsense every time.

In the hope of putting a stop this interminable chat, the Countdown show is quite good.

They do a great of job of both tightening and fleshing out even the most meandering of storylines leading into the PPV. Hangman/Punk in particular is far more coherent and interesting. If MJF is gone, maybe the time is now to pull the trigger on Punk’s turn.

Kingston remains the most authentic man in the business, shouting at editors to leave his footage in where he warns Jericho’s kids to kiss their dad goodbye. Jericho got a genuine laugh out of me too, talking about how it takes so much to stay on top for so long, citing how he and the Jericho Appreciation Society have been the symbol of excellence in Sports Entertainment for a whole ten weeks.

Recommended.

Edited May 29, 2022 by Supremo

[Duke]

I'm so glad the internet wasn't as ubiquitous as it is now in November 1997. 

[Keith Houchen]

4 minutes ago, Supremo said:

 

In instances like this, when something is widely reported as a shoot, have the, “it’s obviously a work, can’t believe you’re falling for it,” guys ever actually been right? Feels like we go through this contrarian nonsense every time.

 

I think it was your good self who once said on here how some wrestling fans will call everything a work because it’s better than actually being worked. They’re too clever to be worked so call everything a work and you won’t be fooled. 
 

There’s a term for stuff like this in the real world, something like The Nirvana or Utopia defence. Because it can’t be proven to be false, it can’t be false. 

[RedRooster]

8 minutes ago, Supremo said:

In the hope of putting a stop this interminable chat, the Countdown show is quite good.

These shows never disappoint. I like what they did with Deeb/Rosa in particular, they’ve managed to turn a mess of a feud into something that feels quite compelling. I’d love them to utilise the pre-recorded sit-down interview format on Dynamite more often, it works so well. 

[Supremo]

I liked Moxley explaining them trying to blind Kingston with a fireball was his final straw before stepping in to help, since he experienced a similar attack when Jericho stabbed him in the eye in early 2020. Such basic, yet enriching storytelling. A real nice connection of the dots that rewards you for being a longtime viewer. Did they even mention that on Dynamite or Rampage?

[SuperBacon]

Jayson Tatum is in on the work (that ones just for @Keith Houchen)

I must say the last couple of pages have been tremendously fun/pathetic. Lovely Sunday afternoon reading. 

[RedRooster]

4 minutes ago, Supremo said:

I liked Moxley explaining them trying to blind Kingston with a fireball was his final straw before stepping in to help, since he experienced a similar attack when Jericho stabbed him in the eye in early 2020. Such basic, yet enriching storytelling. A real nice connection of the dots that rewards you for being a longtime viewer. Did they even mention that on Dynamite or Rampage?

Not directly from Moxley, as far as I can recall, but Excalibur definitely mentioned it on commentary at one point.