AEW Dynamite Thread 2023

[JNLister]

48 minutes ago, The King of Old School said:

So 1st in the blue league faces 2nd in the gold league and vice versa? With the winners facing at Worlds End.

 

That's how these tournaments normally work in Japan when they do semifinals, but the way they explained it here it's Blue 1st Vs Blue 2nd and Gold 1st Vs Gold 2nd.

Then again, the whole "Eddie's titles are on the line in every match so the winner ends up with them all, no, hang on, maybe he's vacated  them or maybe he just hands them over on finals night if he's not in it" absolutely reekeed of "guys, I think I've mixed up the J Crown tournament and the G1."

[Lorne Malvo]

It's a tale as old as AEW itself. They produce a red-hot PPV with tons of momentum then they follow it up with a solid if middling episode of TV. They know how to put on some brilliant wrestling but they struggle to really capitalise on their own success at times.

That being said, I enjoyed all 3 of the Continental Classic matches (and it's really not THAT hard to follow). Mark Briscoe continues to be one of the best pair of hands in the business. Heel, face, opener, main event, he can do it all. He's equally believeable mixing it up with Tony Nese on ROH or fighting Moxley in the main event here.

I do like me some Danhausen, but the real return on this show was Hager's hat. Really fun trios match, Orange Cassidy has been the MVP of this company in 2023.

The world champion and his best mate both being completely hobbled looked tragic but also quite endearing. MJF/Joe was class the first time around so I'm well up for some more.

I loved everything about the Christian Cage segment, he's one of the best dickheads in the business at the moment. I think Copeland taking out Nick Wayne at the end might lead to his mam joining up with Christian. Those pair recreating the Christian/Trish kiss would be quite the image. Luchasaurus' redemption story should be a ton of fun.

Toni Storm was the real highlight of this show though. Her sitting in the crowd was inspired and the line 'all the little Toni Storms out there... this is my spot, you will not take it, you will not make it' was absolutely brilliant. Also Mariah May 🥰

Fully on board with this Cool Hand Ang/Ruby Soho romance. Lower/mid-card wrestlers having fun storylines was something AEW used to do a lot more in its early years but has gravitated away from, but I love little stories like this.

I also really like how they're promoting Garcia as the underdog in this tournament. He's going to get a big win at some point and I can't wait.

Edited November 24, 2023 by Lorne Malvo

[Chili]

It's been said but Daddy Magic Matt Menard is amazing quality to watch. You can never take your eyes off him whilst he's on screen. There was a JAS promo where he riffed on Terry Funk's 'FOREVER' line and you could Jericho looking at him not even trying to hide how amusing he found Magic. Chewing at the scenery, talking like a big shot, and I love his complete lack of any chill levels. He's what people imagine TK is like if he really is a Dyson writing the shows. Tremendous comedy timing from him. I wanna see him and Saraya just be complete tossers in this silly Grease storyline they've got going. Scheming to ruin stuff just because they're meanies. There is some fantastic potential comedy in there and wrestling fans will always love a weird romance angle.

I still want it to end in a musical.

[air_raid]

16 hours ago, Supremo said:

Has it been explained how the finals work? Do the two top competitors of each group fight for a spot in the final?

 

15 hours ago, Infinity Land said:

Orlando has been described as the 'League Finals', with World's End being the overall Final.

 

15 hours ago, ReturnOfTheMack said:

I'm sure they said the top 2 of each league would face off with the winners facing at Worlds End.

 

5 hours ago, andrew "the ref" coyne said:

On commentary (Rush vs White) they confirmed that the two top scorers in each league will face on in a semi final, then go on to the grand final at World's End.

 

1 hour ago, The King of Old School said:

So 1st in the blue league faces 2nd in the gold league and vice versa?

 

43 minutes ago, JNLister said:

That's how these tournaments normally work in Japan when they do semifinals, but the way they explained it here it's Blue 1st Vs Blue 2nd and Gold 1st Vs Gold 2nd.

So, with last night's victory over Andrade, next week Danielson must beat Claudio in order to advance to wrestle Moxley. That's in an effort to reduce his magic number to three.

Right, and then Danielson can advance to the National Eastern Division North to wrestle Strickland.

So, if Danielson beats Kingston and Lethal beats White in the American Southwestern Division East Northern, then Danielson goes to World's End, unless Garcia can upset Brody and Moxley draws with Kingston, then Briscoe would fight Rush and Lethal in a blind choice round robin.

And if no clear winner emerges from all of this, a two-man sack race will be held on consecutive Sundays until a champion can be crowned.

[Hannibal Scorch]

4 minutes ago, air_raid said:

 

 

 

 

 

So, with last night's victory over Andrade, next week Danielson must beat Claudio in order to advance to wrestle Moxley. That's in an effort to reduce his magic number to three.

Right, and then Danielson can advance to the National Eastern Division North to wrestle Strickland.

So, if Danielson beats Kingston and Lethal beats White in the American Southwestern Division East Northern, then Danielson goes to World's End, unless Garcia can upset Brody and Moxley draws with Kingston, then Briscoe would fight Rush and Lethal in a blind choice round robin.

And if no clear winner emerges from all of this, a two-man sack race will be held on consecutive Sundays until a champion can be crowned.

[organizedkaos]

Don't get me wrong half of AEW booking/rules is nonsense.

However to their credit they did (finally) pretty clearly explain the rules last night, some of this feels a bit like when people label everything in a film they didn't notice as "plot hole"

 

[Loki]

22 minutes ago, organizedkaos said:

they did (finally) pretty clearly explain the rules last night

During the first match.  I hope they explained the rules to the fighters in advance!  It'd make for an interesting gimmick, start a match and then make up the rules as you go "btw submission only lads".

It was mentioned in commentary that the new Continental Title will be part of a US Triple Crown title with two other US feds, did I hear that correctly?

[air_raid]

4 minutes ago, Loki said:

It'd make for an interesting gimmick, start a match and then make up the rules as you go "btw submission only lads".

FOND memories of Dave Rayne's reign of terror in Preston as the #BOOM Champion with his own rule book, where every show he'd lose the belt only to hastily scribble new rules in the book then draw the ref's attention to such stipulations as "the belt cannot change hands on a Friday, and certainly not when a man called Joel is refereeing" or "the belt can not be won by submission on the 1st, 9th or 16th of the month."

[Infinity Land]

1 minute ago, Loki said:

It was mentioned in commentary that the new Continental Title will be part of a US Triple Crown title with two other US feds, did I hear that correctly?

Its the NJPW Strong Title, ROH World Title, and new AEW Continental Title. Doesn't make a major amount of difference as two titles are controlled by Tony Khan, and NJPW Strong as a weekly TV show stopped. Now they just do at most monthly events and chop it up for weekly TV.

The NJPW side of things could rule out Andrade and RUSH as potential winners due to their recent AAA ties. More significantly might rule out Danielson and Mox who both have Tokyo Dome matches set where they're more likely to be taking a loss. 

[air_raid]

14 minutes ago, Infinity Land said:

More significantly might rule out Danielson and Mox who both have Tokyo Dome matches set where they're more likely to be taking a loss. 

Do you think they'll be that precious about their new title that they won't put it on either of those men because Danielson might get beat by Okada, one of the best wrestlers on the planet, and Moxley might lose a match involving (also AEW property) Will Ospreay in which he almost definitely won't be the man pinned?

Not saying that either will win but for sure I can't see that being a valid reason why either wouldn't.

[DavidB6937]

1 hour ago, organizedkaos said:

Don't get me wrong half of AEW booking/rules is nonsense.

However to their credit they did (finally) pretty clearly explain the rules last night, some of this feels a bit like when people label everything in a film they didn't notice as "plot hole"

 

Well your user name couldn't be more appropriate.

[BomberPat]

2 hours ago, Infinity Land said:

The NJPW side of things could rule out Andrade and RUSH as potential winners due to their recent AAA ties. 

Andrade hasn't worked AAA in over a year, and even then only worked there twice in his whole career. Rush earlier this year, and finished up the tournament he was in, and hasn't been back since.

More likely an issue is that CMLL just don't particularly like Rush, or vice-versa - Rush quit CMLL a few years back, and they responded by firing his family members. On the flipside, Andrade has a lot more history with CMLL than AAA, has family members wrestling there, and sent in a promo video for their anniversary show this year, but doesn't seem interested in working with them.

[Infinity Land]

9 hours ago, air_raid said:

Do you think they'll be that precious about their new title that they won't put it on either of those men

I was talking about NJPWs influence on the direction of things. As 1/3 of the Triple Crown is outside Tony Khan's direct influence. Okada v. Danielson and Moxley's match apparently involving a rebranding of the UK/US title doesn't need the clutter of a tertiary title in the mix.

But if you want to know what I think AEW would do. Then yes, I do think they'd avoid putting their shiny new champion in a position where the first high profile match after winning is to take a loss.

 

7 hours ago, BomberPat said:

Andrade hasn't worked AAA in over a year, and even then only worked there twice in his whole career. Rush earlier this year, and finished up the tournament he was in, and hasn't been back since.

More likely an issue is that CMLL just don't particularly like Rush, or vice-versa - Rush quit CMLL a few years back, and they responded by firing his family members. On the flipside, Andrade has a lot more history with CMLL than AAA, has family members wrestling there, and sent in a promo video for their anniversary show this year, but doesn't seem interested in working with them.

I went with "recent ties to AAA" rather than calling anyone a AAA wrestler because it differs depending on those involved and all rather nebulous. Until any of the Mexican wrestlers seen as tied most recently to AAA actually works an Forbidden Door / NJPW show. Then the status quo from those that know better is that NJPW are keeping their distance out of respect for their CMLL partnership.

[air_raid]

10 hours ago, Infinity Land said:

I was talking about NJPWs influence on the direction of things. As 1/3 of the Triple Crown is outside Tony Khan's direct influence. Okada v. Danielson and Moxley's match apparently involving a rebranding of the UK/US title doesn't need the clutter of a tertiary title in the mix.

Or, anyone walking to the ring with more belts for their big match makes them look better. That’s far more in line with Japanese thinking than “clutter.”

On the other hand, that New Japan even got on board with the concept of their belt being defended in conjunction with other promotions’ suggests they’re not that arsed what happens with it. I can’t imagine Tony making a transatlantic call every time he wants to do Cassidy vs Danhausen for the next shot at the Denslow Crown and he doesn’t know who Gedo & Jado prefer to win.

[The King Of Swing]

Samoa Joe and Christian Cage are the best.