AEW Dynamite Thread 2023

[HarmonicGenerator]

15 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

You can draw dotted lines between Adam Cole, MJF, Jay White, Adam Page, Strickland, Danielson, Christian Cage, Adam Copeland right now and it’s great. It feels like a real, over main event scene is developing in front of our eyes (with two titles, in the World and TNT titles) to sustain it. Love to see it.

I really liked this about the show too, lots of things felt like they connected and it worked really well.

Also loved the depth of Orange Cassidy's reaction to winning the International Title back. He wanted it back - he wanted to win - but as soon as he did, there was this undertone of "oh shit, I just remembered what having this last time did to me" and realisation that he's about to get beaten down again if he wants to be a champion.

It's crazy seeing an Edge match in AEW. Not my favourite match of the show - Swerve-Danielson was fantastic please send Swerve on a direct route to the main events - but it's Edge in AEW! So weird.

I'm afraid the significance of the roll of quarters passed me by completely; granted I was watching at 6am, but that's no excuse for me not picking up on the horrible connections to it. I thought up to that point MJF was doing really well portraying the reverse-role of a lone babyface being targeted by a top heel and his lackeys ... but yeah, they didn't need to go there.

Edited October 11, 2023 by HarmonicGenerator

[Supremo]

Other than the really stupid roll of quarters stuff, I thought this was an otherwise  great show.

A real throwback to early Dynamite episodes, where they had the bravery to do big star vs. big star matches, confident enough in the performers ability to get themselves over even in losing, and confident in the stories and characters enough to make wins and losses count but not let it be the be-all-end-all. Neither Hangman or Swerve were, “buried,” by losing, and it only meant for two fantastic TV matches that actually felt important and worth watching. So much better than the trope of A-star vs. D-star Tony can sometimes rely on when he’s feeling stingy and there’s six months between pay per views. 

Christian was hilarious all night long. Best run of his career. Christian vs. Danielson is going to fucking rule.

Eddie Kingston hugging Taz, high-giving Renee and giving RJ City the middle finger. What a man.

Amazing how quickly Samoa Joe has been rehabilitated after losing at Grand Slam. Can’t wait for him to come back.

Orange Cassidy winning the belt back was weird. I assume the story they planned - and what  we’ll still eventually get - is Orange proving he can beat Mox when he’s a hundred percent and isn’t coming into the match with eleven months worth of injuries. It’s just a shame real life has turned this into such a muddled mess. All that prestige and momentum feels completely wasted and we’re back at square one. Hopefully Mox gets cleared for Full Gear.

The Wardlow squashes are a million times more interesting now I’ve been made aware of Wardlow writing, “MJF,” on his wrist tape. Is he gunning for Max? Joining forces again? Was it Wardlow who attacked Jay White? This is AEW at its best, where they drop these clues, encourage you to fantasy book, and you can trust it’s going to all come together in a mad crescendo.

LOL at Saraya losing. Bet Tony has been fighting the urge to get that belt off her since the day she won. Other than the big pop at Wembley, there was no real worth in making her champion in the first place, she’s rubbish, so this was definitely the right call.

Toni Storm hasn’t missed yet. She’s the best.

Great showing from Jay White. It’s mad how quickly he’s stepped up and feels like a legitimate main event player. I’d be tempted to give him the belt at Full Gear.

Amazing babyface promo from MJF until they ruined it. One of his very best until it wasn’t. First time he didn’t feel insincere or like he was performing what he thinks a babyface would do and say. Felt completely authentic. Guess it depends on how you rate him on whether you think all of that is intentional or not. I do. He feels like this flawed, insecure, frightened kid trying to figure out who he is and how to deal with this new found friendship and love from the crowd. I can’t remember the last time anyone provided so much subtext to their work in this medium. He’s the best.

Adam Cole on the other hand has finally jumped the shark. That’s two weeks running the Roddy stuff hasn’t worked at all. He’d have been better just vanishing until fully healed.

One of the worst proposed Rampage lineups of all time. Like they actively don’t want people to watch.

The main event was a bit rubbish. I understand why Copeland wanted to put over Luchasaurus as a big monster, but I’m not convinced extended selling and a drawn out heat segment is what fans want in your first match in a new territory. Give us some fucking action. It reminded me of when Daniel Bryan returned at Wrestlemania in that tag match with Zayn and Owens, only for the whole thing to die on it’s arse when he just sold for ages. It’s not the time nor the place for that type of match. Just go crazy and get the people popping!

All was forgiven when they closed with that wild Nitro-style brawl though, with all the night’s storylines intertwining. Always a banker. Worked on Friday’s Smackdown, worked here too. Top drawer stuff.

Edited October 11, 2023 by Supremo

[Infinity Land]

30 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

Tone deaf, stupid, idiotic. And, in trying to rescue it by having MJF directly reach out to an anti-semitism charity,

That wasn't done in reaction to the segment. It's something that would have been lined up in advance. Just trying to keep a good relationship with WBD it would have been ran by them considering current events. Being truly cynical I had to double check that the NE Pats weren't playing their TNF game this week, they aren't.

With MJF's use of the topic in past promos and Juice's history of using a roll of quarters to attack people. This is a bit that was probably going to happen regardless of the news when the feud with Bullet Club Gold started. It's even more of a livewire topic but they presumably see the jewish kid standing up and beating his bully as worth it.

 

 

[d-d-d-dAz]

8 minutes ago, Infinity Land said:

That wasn't done in reaction to the segment. It's something that would have been lined up in advance. Just trying to keep a good relationship with WBD it would have been ran by them considering current events. Being truly cynical I had to double check that the NE Pats weren't playing their TNF game this week, they aren't.

With MJF's use of the topic in past promos and Juice's history of using a roll of quarters to attack people. This is a bit that was probably going to happen regardless of the news when the feud with Bullet Club Gold started. It's even more of a livewire topic but they presumably see the jewish kid standing up and beating his bully as worth it.

 

 

Even if planned in advance, it still plays out like a ‘no no, this wasn’t just grossly insensitive we’re making a point’ when I think people would rather they were neither insensitive nor making a point.

It’s just not worth it, I don’t think. Plus, I’ve never really considered Juice to be a ‘bully’ in the way the segment played out. He’s a wildman, lunatic shithouse. I don’t know that he needs to be a racist, or if we’re being very generous someone who’s happy to mimic racists for a reaction.

I wouldn’t have liked it anyway, probably, but this week I really couldn’t have it. 

[RedRooster]

2 hours ago, Chili said:

Yeah, I don't think it was exactly the finest timing and to be honest would it have ever, but I've seen some incredible takes that AEW and whoever actually looked at the world situation and went 'we could get heat from that' and that it was worse than that genuinely mental Muhammad Hassan segment

Regardless of why they did it, I'm a bit surprised that they failed to recognise the potential for a PR catastrophe - I'm talking 'take-Dynamite-off-the-air" level stuff. Obviously that hasn't happened - but all would take is for one major news outlet to think "there are clicks in this story", and to present it in a way intended to damage; and they would have been in a world of trouble. 

They probably benefitted from the fact it wasn't an obvious link - it needs explaining, meaning a lot of people probably missed it. I'm like @HarmonicGenerator in that I missed it too first time round, and felt a bit confused by the whole thing. 

Aside from everything else, tying a character to anti-semitism is an insane thing to do. 

1 hour ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

Back to Christian to bring the show home. What a guy. Wrestler of the year. I loved him bodying Judgment Day. Get into ‘em Christian. I love that they’re presenting Christian and Edge as equals. It’s properly thrilling, and with them being besties it allows Christian to really push it.

Yes!! He's barely had any matches, but I feel exactly the same way. Has anyone made this much impact with as little ring time? He's a sensational character, and he delivers every time he wrestles. Fuck Orange Cassidy (sorry, Orange), fuck Danielson, fuck MJF and fuck any of the WWE offerings - Christian Cage should win wrestler of the year at the UKFF Awards this year. 

1 hour ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

Swerve and Nana are such a good act. Danielson is the best. They really had me with some of those nearfalls. It had the best possible ending, kept Swerve strong and delighted to see they haven’t just abandoned Page/Swerve as I’m more than up for seeing more of them. Danielson/Cage on Saturday? FUCK YES. Let’s go.

 

I don't know if it was the best idea to have Swerve lose again, even with interference. They've gone from having him pick up (arguably) the biggest win of his career against Hangman, to losing almost immediately. It's not like they had to do this match, Danielson could have beaten someone else, then gone on to face Christian. Swerve has so much upside, but I do worry that no one has taken notice. There's an alternate universe where Swerve is the hottest heel in wrestling alongside Christian, after defeating Sting at All In, then Hangman - as he seeks out his next victim. Play it right, and people would be clamouring for an MJF/Swerve match. 

[The Gaffer]

Expecting Toni Storm's short film to derive its comedy from being over-the-top avant-garde and instead having it just be her flapping about looking like a complete idiot for a solid minute or two was genius. 

[Infinity Land]

US viewers got the better end of the deal with that being picture in picture.

[Nick James]

3 hours ago, Devon Malcolm said:

As for the quarters thing, well, if you try and defend that then you're a blinkered mark moron even by the standard of wrestling fans. 

 

1 hour ago, Infinity Land said:

That wasn't done in reaction to the segment. It's something that would have been lined up in advance. Just trying to keep a good relationship with WBD it would have been ran by them considering current events. Being truly cynical I had to double check that the NE Pats weren't playing their TNF game this week, they aren't.

With MJF's use of the topic in past promos and Juice's history of using a roll of quarters to attack people. This is a bit that was probably going to happen regardless of the news when the feud with Bullet Club Gold started. It's even more of a livewire topic but they presumably see the jewish kid standing up and beating his bully as worth it.

Go figure.

[Dai]

2 hours ago, Supremo said:

 

 

I dip in and out of AEW, and was shocked to see the state of Wardlow. What the hell happened? The last time I saw him was the MJF fued, and then at Grand Slam last year. That guy in the picture above seems like a different person. The bad hair, the bad gear (white boots), losing the cool 'Wardlow' chant pre music, the monster aura, it even looks like hes off the juice now compared to how jacked he was last year. Seems like he should have been set as a main eventer after that MJF fued. Seriously, watch the first minute of this youtube clip and see the difference.

 

[Infinity Land]

19 minutes ago, Nick James said:

 

Go figure.

It's not a defense. If you want one though i'll leave that to the Jewish person working alongside the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism that's making it.

 

[RedRooster]

13 minutes ago, Infinity Land said:

It's not a defense. If you want one though i'll leave that to the Jewish person working alongside the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism that's making it.

 

I don't think you're blinkered at all when it comes to AEW - you're pretty fair with your critiques, but I don't think this really washes. No one is suggesting that any of the wrestlers in the segment are antisemitic; but none of that changes the fact that the segment was incredibly ill-judged. It may well have been constructed with the best of intentions in mind - I obviously can't speak for that - but I don't think you have to look particularly hard to see why this segment could have been construed as being in bad taste, or ill-judged. 

Putting aside questions of taste - if this had picked up enough media traction, it could have been damaging to the company. Reputationally, and potentially existentially. That might sound like an overstatement, but Tony Khan has yet to agree a new TV deal. If this had gained media traction to the point advertisers took notice, AEW would be in a lot of trouble. All you need is noise to create serious problems for a company. People don't need to see the segment to create that noise - they just need to see a media article that makes them angry. And if a news outlet decides they can use this story to gain clicks, you can be pretty certain that they'll do it. 

AEW has probably dodged a bullet here - but they aimed the gun at themselves. 

[LaGoosh]

The story of Orange Cassidy finally winning a singles title, defending it against everyone and revealing himself to be the best singles wrestler in the world, then having to desperately fight to keep it as his body slowly breaks down, losing it to a big End Boss, winning it back from someone else and looking at the title in horror as he realises he has to put himself back through that physical torture again...

So fucking cool. One of my favourite stories ever.

[Merzbow]

I take back anything good I've said about Toni Storm's current gimmick..

[BomberPat]

I thought the Toni movie segments were overkill, but I watched the Fite feed, and they were probably the perfect kind of nonsense to put in PIP. 

Unsure how to feel about Copeland/Luchasaurus - it feels like Copeland should have had a decent dominant showcase debut, but at the same time, he's there as very obviously Edge From The WWE, with the expectation that everyone in the crowd already knows who he is, so why not bypass all that? It's disappointing because I'd rather see something that distinguishes Adam Copeland from Edge, to make it feel like a bit of a reinvention, rather than Malibu Stacy With A New Hat. I also wonder how much neck and back selling, hunched over and working from underneath, was intended to disguise the fact that Copeland and "The Most Complete Big Man In The Business" are basically the same size. 

[Chili]

Oh, I saw a random comment on X and because I have COVID and lots of wrestling to catch up with, I'm a bit obsessed with the idea of Hangman doing a Bret '97 turn where he's losing face around the new toys yet hasn't done anything wrong to justify it. Just the way the tide is. Chuck FTR with him. I don't think it's at all going that way it's just in my mind and I'm putting it together. It could possibly work.