AEW Saturday Collision

[Hannibal Scorch]

11 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

What actually happened to the Acclaimed? I've seen some people dislike Caster's social media, but I dunno why, but is that really the reason that they'v been ice cold with the wider audience for months and months? 

Some of their programs this year have sounded tedious but they had massively cooled off before. I just can't quite work out where it all went so horribly, horribly wrong. 

For me, a fan since they were first randomly put together as a team, the act just got stale. Something that happens often granted, but there has just been no development to them. They are still doing the same things as they were 3 years ago. Unless you’re in some interesting feuds, there’s no excitement. And it doesn’t help that you have so many good tag teams. This isn’t a knock at WWE, but when you look at the tag teams there to AEW, they just have too many teams in competition who are better, more interesting or fresh. They could be a breath of fresh air if they jumped, but as that’s not likely in the short term, having them split might be a good thing, even if they eventually reunite, it might give them a chance to try new things.

[organizedkaos]

I think maybe this might be a side effect of some of the greater issues around AEW and what that means for a team like the Acclaimed.

The booking lot still seem to struggle with consistency and momentum, they're absolutely getting better at parts but things are still a bit stop/start - particularly midcardy feuds and acts.

Because AEW prides itself on "good wrestling" and has plenty fans who want to see that there's quite a few acts that basically keep their momentum going by having standout matches.  Acclaimed don't seem much to do that (although that could also be on the division as much as on them). I mean they're not slouches and Bowens always feels primed to have some sort of standout career definining run. But their matches get pretty samey and only tend to glance up towards the super athletic, heart in mouth, 2.99999 near fallsy stuff that AEW can do so well.

Wrestling is a three ring circus and I don't want everything to be the same. The point being "banger match" acts have a simple and effective way of keeping themselves over whereas without some storyline or character motivation the more traditional wrestling style will be less over in comparison. So they tend to lose momentum a lot quicker when they're not in big storylines.  It's a bit similar to Wardlow and other acts thats get pretty over and then sort of meander.  If you're not getting over by having the occasional banger then you're character work has to be contantly top tier. A rapping act that's gotten kinda stale along with whatever it is Max Casters being trying to do this year is not alas, top tier.

[Infinity Land]

43 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

What actually happened to the Acclaimed? I've seen some people dislike Caster's social media, but I dunno why, but is that really the reason that they'v been ice cold with the wider audience for months and months? 

Some of their programs this year have sounded tedious but they had massively cooled off before. I just can't quite work out where it all went so horribly, horribly wrong. 

After the Trios title win they were never given anything meaningful to do. Get dragged into the Devil storyline where I remember Caster coming off very poorly. Finally given a feud with Bullet Club Gold, going the "frenemy" route where its clear BCG are being fake best friends and the Acclaimed gullible idiots. Play with fire by having Caster have intentionally poor performances (flubbing lines, stopping entirely) on entrances to show dissension growing between Caster & Bowens. Its not like Caster needed any help being a screw-up.

BCG steal the show despite being the heels. Acclaimed never recover. 

[LaGoosh]

For me it's as simple as 1) the act has a natural shelf life which it has now passed and 2) as they went on the act got worse.

[HarmonicGenerator]

Caster deciding to call himself the Best Wrestler Alive, and AEW being fine to go with that, in a company that has Danielson, Ospreay, Omega and Okada on the books, is a particularly weird aspect of it. I think it was the Devil storyline that did it for them, though. Nobody came out of that mess in a better position than before - even MJF reverted back to his rubbish pre-Cole state.

[Guest]

I maintain that putting Billy Gunn with them full time shortened their shelf life pretty badly. Nothing says "cool, edgy rappers" like 60 year old Mr. Ass.

It's worth mentioning as well with the BCG feud that they'd already had an interminably long feud with the Gunns before, so I think almost everything connected with them has been bad. 

I wouldn't break them up, mostly because I don't see a massive upside to either of them as singles, but I think a heel turn and a bit of a repackage is long overdue.

[Doog]

I'd argue they wouldn't have been half as popular as they were at their peak without Billy Gunn.

He was a massive part of the act and the whole "scissor me Daddy" chant as they proper caught on. He still gets bigger pops than them two now as well.

[Lorne Malvo]

Gotta say I thought that was a pretty poor episode of Collision. Sometimes you look at the immense talent they've got on their roster and then look at the card on a given Collision/Rampage and just think 'what are you playing at?' 

I'm in a bit of a weird spot with AEW at the moment. For as much as I enjoy the matches and the majority of the talent I just wish they'd simplify things and book some old-school storylines. Everything doesn't have to be so messy all the time.

And again, it should be a rule that every episode of Collision should have at least one in-ring promo segment.

[LaGoosh]

8 hours ago, Lorne Malvo said:

Gotta say I thought that was a pretty poor episode of Collision. Sometimes you look at the immense talent they've got on their roster and then look at the card on a given Collision/Rampage and just think 'what are you playing at?' 

It was clashing with Bad Blood. Whenever Collision clashes with a WWE PLE they usually put on a shit show. I guess they assume no one is watching so can't be bothered. But definitely agree with you more broadly that they can do way more with that roster. 

8 hours ago, Lorne Malvo said:

And again, it should be a rule that every episode of Collision should have at least one in-ring promo segment.

I actually like that it doesn't. I like the wrestling heavy and steady pace format of Collision. Gives it a different vibe. Inbetween every match there should be a backstage promo or vignette or something away from the ring though just to break it up.

[HarmonicGenerator]

Collision does often feel like a waste of their roster, but at least they usually have more than one women’s match, which Dynamite still can’t seem to manage after five years.

[Lorne Malvo]

1 hour ago, LaGoosh said:

It was clashing with Bad Blood. Whenever Collision clashes with a WWE PLE they usually put on a shit show. I guess they assume no one is watching so can't be bothered. But definitely agree with you more broadly that they can do way more with that roster.

Completely forgot about Bad Blood. And I watched some of it!

[Infinity Land]

2 hours ago, HarmonicGenerator said:

Collision does often feel like a waste of their roster, but at least they usually have more than one women’s match, which Dynamite still can’t seem to manage after five years.

Weirdly enough tonight is one of those nights. 

[Supremo]

I’m not even sure I can explain it. Even knowing Brody King will likely perform a five-star murder on Darby. I just feel nothing. Ice cold. Maybe it’s because I got a taste of what it felt like when Jericho wasn’t stinking up a pay per view. Genie is out of the bottle now. Can’t go back.

Is it just me? Load of shite. I described All In as, “A New Hope,” and All Out as, “Empire Strikes Back.” I think Wrestledream might be, “Attack of the Clones.”

 

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

More like WrestleNightmare am I rite lads!!!

I'll watch the main event and hope no one gets hit in the head with a toolbox. The rest of it is meh apart from the match with Jericho which is downright offensive. Watching Pinochet trying to keep up with Takeshita and Ospreay might be intriguing I guess but I'd sooner he wasn't in that match. 

[Lorne Malvo]

I'm sure it'll be a good PPV on the night, but with the exception of the main event most of it could pass for a bog-standard Dynamite card.

Edited October 8, 2024 by Lorne Malvo