Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted August 22 Paid Members Share Posted August 22 I will try and calm your fevered brow JLM. Do you think Danielson retires on a screwy finish? I can't see it myself. He is the sort of guy who would want to lose clean on the way out. My guess is that if Swereve wins, and I think he should, he wins as clean as he can. The only reason to retire Danielson by interference is to give him a way of coming back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted August 22 Paid Members Share Posted August 22 MJF seemed to be trying to work seventeen different angles in that one segment, absolutely dismal stuff. He's doing USA vs. UK, he's doing "Tony Khan likes me more than you", he's doing "you do flippy stuff, I don't need to", he's doing "you don't have it in you to hit the Tiger Driver '91", he's doing jealousy, he's doing alt-right catchphrases, he's bringing Ospreay's family into it. It's horrendous, unfocused bollocks. Two years ago, I'd never have believed you if you told me that Will Ospreay would be schooling MJF on the mic in TV segments, but here we are. He still leaned in far too much to meta stuff - there's a way to say "everybody came out of last year's show talking about me and not you" without outright burying the main event, but that's right out of the MJF playbook anyway. I just wish they could talk about who's winning more matches, rather than who's having the best matches - I genuinely think that too much of this nonsense is a big part of why ratings dropped off, people couldn't give a fuck. MJF's American schtick is horrendous too. Got an absolute nothing of a reaction for calling the audience "redcoat terrorists" because nobody in the UK gives a solitary shit about US revolutionary war stereotypes. If they're going to insistent on working a US/UK feud - as one of the many hats on top of hats on this programme - then they need to actually work of stereotypes about each country that mean anything to the British audience. Or maybe I'm not thinking it through enough, and we're supposed to think that MJF is doing embarrassingly lazy, dated, America-centric material and hate him for that. On top of all that, they've not done the work to get the Tiger Driver '91 over as a kill move. It supposedly injured Bryan Danielson to the point of risking his career, and he was back three weeks later. The only other time he's hit it was on Kenny Omega, and he was back wrestling two weeks later. MJF hit it on Michael Oku, and he was wrestling again within the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB6937 Posted August 22 Author Share Posted August 22 The one teeny tiny little bit of vulnerable MJF was the only thing that remotely got my attention there, because it felt like maybe they hadn't completely fucked him and retconned everything and then ruined his character. It was a glimmer of hope in a ridiculously disappointing and messy segment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted August 22 Paid Members Share Posted August 22 2 minutes ago, DavidB6937 said: The one teeny tiny little bit of vulnerable MJF was the only thing that remotely got my attention there, because it felt like maybe they hadn't completely fucked him and retconned everything and then ruined his character. It was a glimmer of hope in a ridiculously disappointing and messy segment. I'd be more inclined to think it's back to the days of MJF inventing new bits of characterisation to give "depth" to a promo, that he'll forget about next week, like when he went through a phase of bringing up different bits of traumatic backstory or horrific things he'd done as a teenager every other week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted August 22 Paid Members Share Posted August 22 36 minutes ago, BomberPat said: MJF seemed to be trying to work seventeen different angles in that one segment, absolutely dismal stuff. He's doing USA vs. UK, he's doing "Tony Khan likes me more than you", he's doing "you do flippy stuff, I don't need to", he's doing "you don't have it in you to hit the Tiger Driver '91", he's doing jealousy, he's doing alt-right catchphrases, he's bringing Ospreay's family into it. It's horrendous, unfocused bollocks. I was just about to post the same thing! I think fundamentally for any wrestling story to actually work you need to be able to remove the bells and whistles and boil it all down to a single and clear sentence. If you asked me what this MJF/Ospreay feud is actually about I wouldn't have a single fucking idea what to tell you. I don't think it's a coincidence that MJF's best work has been with veterans who have reigned him in or when the story has been clear and simple. Leave him to his own devices and you get The Devil storyline or the abysmal build to the "Four Pillars" title match (which he apparently wrote himself). Just far too much going on and none of it making any real sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Duke Posted August 22 Paid Members Share Posted August 22 I'm really surprised there's any discussion that Danielson might be losing on Sunday. Maybe I'm being dopey, but I just cannot see it happening. All of the tension went straight out of that match as soon as the retirement stip was added, for me, because Bryan had always said this would be his last full time contract, and now it's become "WILL NEVER WRESTLE AGAIN", which I just don't believe he'll do. I didn't hate the MJF stuff as much as most, though I agree he doesn't seem entirely certain what he's actually trying to do. As for Gooshy's point above, the feud is about MJF going after Osprey because he got popular when MJF was out. Rather than sitting around saying "Where's Poochy?", the company moved on and the fans moved on, and he feels betrayed, because he's a petulant narcissist. That's why he attacked Daniel Garcia and that's why he's gone after Osprey, and he's now trying anything to get one over on him, but they've not communicated that well at all, with MJF being a bit too pleased with himself and what he can get over. Wrapped up in the Tiger Driver stuff (which has a strong video on Collision that was, unfortunately, on Collison) and it's all just a bit much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Hannibal Scorch Posted August 22 Paid Members Share Posted August 22 If only Ospreay had a bracelet, this would have been much harder to screw up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted August 22 Paid Members Share Posted August 22 MJF shouting mid match "This isn't the same Will Ospreay I wrestled before!". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted August 22 Paid Members Share Posted August 22 19 minutes ago, Duke said: I'm really surprised there's any discussion that Danielson might be losing on Sunday. Maybe I'm being dopey, but I just cannot see it happening. All of the tension went straight out of that match as soon as the retirement stip was added, for me, because Bryan had always said this would be his last full time contract, and now it's become "WILL NEVER WRESTLE AGAIN", which I just don't believe he'll do. I think they've done a great job this week of managing that - Swerve's threats to make sure that Danielson won't wrestle again even outside of AEW, incorporating those interviews into the story, as well as Danielson saying stuff like how his daughter wants him to lose so he can be at home all the time and just be her dad? That's all working for me, as was Danielson's fired up go-home promo. I still think Danielson's going over, but they've done a great job of making me think that he might not. I'm also desperate to see how Hangman gets involved in this. He has to want Swerve to win, because he wants to be the one to take everything from him. I'm assuming Hangman wins the Casino Gauntlet, but I want to see him lose, because I want to see how much more psychotic and desperate he can get when every route back to Swerve is taken away from him - Hangman losing the gauntlet and Swerve losing the belt would be a fascinating outcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedTwoster Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 (edited) 31 minutes ago, Duke said: I'm really surprised there's any discussion that Danielson might be losing on Sunday. Maybe I'm being dopey, but I just cannot see it happening. All of the tension went straight out of that match as soon as the retirement stip was added, for me, because Bryan had always said this would be his last full time contract, and now it's become "WILL NEVER WRESTLE AGAIN", which I just don't believe he'll do. You're not being dopey at all. It's Bryan's interviews outside of AEW television that have given me the most doubt. He's either done a really good job at sounding like a wrestler who is content with his legacy and is now comfortable packing it in, or he really is a wrestler who is content with his legacy and is now comfortable packing it in. Any time I feel the way you do, I end up catching one of those out-of-character interviews and change my mind. In all likelihood, I'm just very, very gullible! Edited August 22 by RedTwoster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyUK Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 Thought Dynamite was great live and looking forward to watching it again tomorrow. All four matches were terrific TV matches and the closing segment with Swerve and Danielson did a great job selling the main event on Sunday. I enjoyed the MJF/Ospreay segment just because both guys are really good with their delivery but agree the content was a bit iffy. These type of worked shoot segments work best when they’re rooted in reality, but I don’t think many people were ever complaining about MJF not being able to put on a ‘’good match’’ or that Tony Khan brought in Ospreay because of that fact for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members unfitfinlay Posted August 22 Paid Members Share Posted August 22 My dream scenario is Hangman winning the gauntlet and trying to help Swerve keep the title….only for Bryan to pull out a win anyway. Hangman’s all about “doing what he has to do”. Imagine he compromises his morales and helps the person he hates more than anything and he STILL doesn’t get what he wants. It’s astonishing that, when AEW started, I wanted nothing but nice things for Hangman and now I want to see just how psychotic he get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lorne Malvo Posted August 22 Paid Members Share Posted August 22 4 hours ago, JLM said: Tony Khan’s wonderful bizarro energy was palpable whenever he was on the mic. Between Dynamite and Collision he goes “this is taping today but will air on Saturday, so you guys will be in two places at once. How you gonna be in two places at once? It’s like my favourite movie! *PAUSE* I think some of you know what it is! That’s right! It’s TIMECOP!” He bloody loves the Timecop bit. Glad you mentioned this. I was 99% sure the Timecop poster showing up on the Tron was a dream I had. I enjoyed the show but didn't love it. Saraya/Storm and Jericho/Billington didn't really click for me. Loved the 6-man tag though. Enjoyed both the MJF/Ospreay and Danielson/Swerve segments. Nigel buttering up Swerve on the mic only for Swerve's facial expression to read 'fuck off Nige' was lovely. Completely unrelated to the show, but what's the deal with the endless bags of rubbish in Cardiff city center? The place was like 1970s New York. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Hannibal Scorch Posted August 22 Paid Members Share Posted August 22 39 minutes ago, Lorne Malvo said: Completely unrelated to the show, but what's the deal with the endless bags of rubbish in Cardiff city center? The place was like 1970s New York. It’s bin day today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Duke Posted August 22 Paid Members Share Posted August 22 1 hour ago, BomberPat said: I'm also desperate to see how Hangman gets involved in this. He has to want Swerve to win, because he wants to be the one to take everything from him. I'm assuming Hangman wins the Casino Gauntlet, but I want to see him lose, because I want to see how much more psychotic and desperate he can get when every route back to Swerve is taken away from him - Hangman losing the gauntlet and Swerve losing the belt would be a fascinating outcome. A few people have said this, and I sincerely hope it's just normal pro wrestling behaviour getting into people's brains, because the idea of Hangman helping Swerve is awful. He wants Swerve to have nothing, he doesn't care how it happens, and he'd far rather Swerve lose to Danielson than hold that belt any longer. It pains him to see Swerve with that belt, he wants him to lose it and then lose everything. Anyway, I don't think he wins the Gauntlet, I think this is an opportunity to give him something else to do on his roaring rampage of revenge. Something that lets him feel aggreived at someone else before going back to Swerve eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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