AEW Dynamite Thread 2024

[BomberPat]

1 hour ago, The King of Old School said:

Why are they still rolling out this Ishii guy as a threat? 

I think he has lost pretty much every AEW match he has been in.

I love Ishii, but this has been a problem with how AEW present talent a lot of the time. I guess it's no different to WWE doing it with Kane and Big Show for years, but "the bigger boys did it first" is no excuse. They want Ishii to be a threat based on reputation, rather than doing the build. You can get away with that for some wrestlers, but I don't think you can with him at this stage in his career. 

Ishii did pin Jericho in a Trios match a couple of weeks ago, but then his team lost a Trios match to the Death Riders on Collision the same week. It wouldn't hurt to give him a string of singles wins rather than hoping that a 2024 Chris Jericho promo can do the work of getting him over.

[LaGoosh]

10 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

You can get away with that for some wrestlers, but I don't think you can with him at this stage in his career. 

Additionally it doesn't work if you've never seen any of his Japan career like me. It's always weird for me when a Japanese guy turns up and AEW tell me how legendary and brilliant they are and they are almost always either a) extremely old or b) fucking knackered like Tanahashi.

I'm sure they used to be brilliant...

[Lorne Malvo]

18 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

Additionally it doesn't work if you've never seen any of his Japan career like me. It's always weird for me when a Japanese guy turns up and AEW tell me how legendary and brilliant they are and they are almost always either a) extremely old or b) fucking knackered like Tanahashi.

I'm sure they used to be brilliant...

Imagine how confused young Lorne was when, after starting watching wrestling during the Attitude Era and strictly WWF only, Ric Flair walked out in 2001 and was presented as a huge deal and one of the best wrestlers of all time. I had a hard time believing anyone who looked like my Nan could be that good.

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

I think it's a lingering hangover from the origin story of AEW. Whatever you think of Kenny and The Young Bucks I think it would be impossible to argue that their best work was anywhere other than in Japan. Stellar careers without any doubt. So it is intrinsically ingrained that Japan = The Best. That still holds true 5 + years on. Everyone who comes to AEW from Japan is treated with a degree of awe that hasn't been earned in front of the US audience. Unfortunately that hasn't really worked, even for Okada who is probably the best Japanese import outside of Takeshita. Takeshita is different though, he has shown how good he is. All the rest of them have been booked pretty poorly and have looked shells of them former selves. Kota Ibushi had more fanfare than the new Kings coronation but unfortunately moved more like Charles's mum. Then he disappeared injured. Ishii has been booked like shite, looks fishier than a Bushwackers vest and has done nothing to show an American audience anything. The worst thing is that I can't see it changing. It's frustrating viewing. 

[BomberPat]

22 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

Additionally it doesn't work if you've never seen any of his Japan career like me. It's always weird for me when a Japanese guy turns up and AEW tell me how legendary and brilliant they are and they are almost always either a) extremely old or b) fucking knackered like Tanahashi.

I'm sure they used to be brilliant...

Some of this is an AEW problem, some of it an NJPW problem, some of it a wrestling problem - I've been thinking a lot recently about how for fans (and many promoters) there tends to be a lag between a wrestler's reputation and their reality; Tanahashi still getting booked as one of the best of the world when he's got zero functioning knees, or people still treating Ospreay as if he's just a skinny flips guy when (whatever you might think of his style) he isn't really that guy any more.

That's especially the case internationally - you don't really want to see the rising stars of NJPW or CMLL, you want to see names you already know and are excited about. But that lag means that those guys are getting older and older, and not being replaced. It's fun seeing Yuji Nagata on AEW and Tony Schiavone talking about how he commentated his matches the last time he wrestled on TBS, but that was the better part of thirty years ago!

I'm more frustrated with stuff like Ospreay and Fletcher making how Ospreay behaved in Japan, or their time in the United Empire together, a core part of their storyline, as that assumes knowledge of the actual ins-and-outs of NJPW storytelling. Whereas when AEW books a star from Japan, I don't really buy the "I don't know who they are" criticism, as "this guy wrestles in another country and is a big name there" is about as easy an introduction as you can get - but, outside of the odd match (and I'd argue they've done a better job with CMLL talent, if only because they tend to be in a position to showcase them as impressive athletes), they don't follow up on it enough and give us reason to care. That starts to become an issue when they're pulling from a narrow pool of talent and still expecting us to care the sixth or seventh time around.

So much of it comes down to trust as well. I always think back to the Attitude Era, and the WWF telling us that the likes of Ernie Ladd and Arnold Skaaland are huge legends in wrestling. You believed them, because the show you're watching is telling you that they are. You don't stop and think, "well, they're just telling us these guys are important because they can't book Hogan or Bruno". But AEW aren't in a position where they have a lot of audience trust any more, so they can't afford to just tell us that someone matters, they need to deliver.

[LaGoosh]

29 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

I don't really buy the "I don't know who they are" criticism, as "this guy wrestles in another country and is a big name there" is about as easy an introduction as you can get

Agreed. When AEW brought in Vikingo for that big match with Omega and there were a lot of usual bad faith takes of "there's no story/I don't know who this is" which I always view as such a miserable way to watch wrestling. I'm always interested in seeing new guys especially if they're hyped up. 

The difference between the Vikingo thing and the New Japan stuff is stark though. As Vikingo came in, clearly in his prime, and blew everyone away so the hype was warranted and they delivered. The problem with the Japan stuff is these guys are hyped up but physically unable to deliver, and if you've never seen them before it's not obvious at all what's special about them. 

Edited November 20, 2024 by LaGoosh

[The King of Old School]

Minoru Suzuki is another one.

Appears every now and again with everyone hyping him up as a big deal, always loses then buggers off again. Rinse and repeat.

[MachoLibre]

1 hour ago, LaGoosh said:

"there's no story/I don't know who this is" which I always view as such a miserable way to watch wrestling.

It's a very TV audience style response, I think. If one was to just decide to go to a wrestling show live for the first time there's every chance you might be unfamiliar with everyone featured, but very quickly be wised up just by watching and the presentation. From entrances, attire and early moments of a match you should know much of what you need to know. Show, don't tell.

[BomberPat]

Minoru Suzuki is someone who I think manages to maintain enough of an aura and enough credibility that he can weather some losses, but again, that runs out, and there's only so many times they can book him to lose. But when you can only get someone for one or two matches, it's difficult to build them up sufficiently - which is why it's more frustrating with Ishii, because he's been there for long stints.

I agree with @MachoLibre that, fundamentally, you should know everything you need to know about a wrestler before the bell rings anyway. Especially when you have a commentary team to fill in the blanks.

I know that the "I don't know who they are" criticism is a different one from "why should I take this guy they keep booking to lose seriously", but I think, aside from the majority of those criticisms that I think are in bad faith, a big part of it comes down to different ways of understanding wrestling. This suggestion that you don't know who someone is because you haven't been "introduced" to them - via video packages, promos, whatever it might be - I think is an odd way of looking at it, because the first match is the introduction. Seeing a wrestler wrestle for the first time is how you are introduced to a new wrestler. But if you watch wrestling with the idea that matches are secondary at best to characters and storylines and angles, then I can see why that would be a problem, though I think it's misguided.

[Supremo]

Warning. This show turned into me into a right grumpy prick. Can’t remember the last time Dynamite left me in such a bad mood.

Remember when it was actually competitive between the two companies, and Meltzer would chart when Dynamite could one day potentially beat Raw in the ratings? It never happened, but that’s what I thought about watching this show.

We should have known it would happen eventually. We should have charted it. One day, in the not-so-distant-future, Dynamite would get so cold and uninteresting that Chris Jericho would have the best segment on the show. It finally happened. Today was that day. This was that show. An inspired segment.

Chris Jericho took this idea, turned it into an angle, and had me giggling like an idiot. Ishii slowly stalking him through the arena, as Chris refused to start running and just kept awkwardly glancing behind him, was really fucking funny. Fair play, Chris. A broken clock is still right twice a day. If anything, they wasted this just doing it in the one segment. They should have stretched it out throughout the whole show. Genuinely brilliant.

I may have watched this at least three times. Best thing Jericho has done in at least two years.

Rest of the show mostly sucked. It’s just so cold and rubbish right now. I don’t care about anything. Deathly quiet. Nonsensical ideas. Meandering nothingness. I don’t even think a Continental Classic can fix things.

What a throwback that Adam Cole segment was! Watching him do bad acting with Kyle O’Rielly in what sounded like an empty warehouse. NXT Covid re-runs. Might as well let Kyle wear his shit Inbetweener hats and shades again.

Just sack Kamille if you regret signing her so much. Something really 2017 WWE to keep humiliating her like this. There’s no catharsis. It’s just dumb.

Babyfaces kidnapping heels, two-on-one? What has happened to my boy, Danny Garcia? This is not it at all.

Them spoiling MVP’s announcement in the segment previous. Bush league stuff.

Lashley also looked a bit crap in his squash. They should have saved his first match for the pay per view. Clearly, Shelton is the talent here.

Cant be arsed with any of the MJF/Roddy Strong stuff. Felt super desperate and grabby to come up with that direction at the last minute. Roddy hasn’t been a Babyface in forever. He was a member of the evil Devil crew! How am I supposed to now feel sympathy?! Whole thing is messier than Adam Cole’s fake tan.

Speaking of which. Is it even current-day Dynamite if the Adam Cole Spray Tan Update™ isn’t one of the most (read: only) interesting aspects of the show?! Look at the state of this.

A man so yellow he’s almost fully camouflaged and disappearing against the yellow of his Titan Tron. He’d be completely transparent if it wasn’t for his ghostly white hands. Like he kept the tanning gloves on and then panicked when his music hit.

The storyline already appears to be, “Adam Cole’s been shit since returning,” so they might as well stage a Tan Intervention, both on and off screen. Get some mileage out of it. I’m half convinced it’s a bit already.

Crap go-home angle. I love both Orange and Mox, and as always I can appreciate what they’re trying to do, but this didn’t land at all. Maybe it’s the deafening silence and the pitch black buildings. The smaller buildings can’t come soon enough.

No Continental Classic brackets. Rubbish.

I didn’t know who this AJ guy was because I’m a thirty nine year old man. For a split second, I thought they were announcing Ricky Starks returning and he’d completely let himself go!

On the plus side, I have heard of, “The Rizzler,” and I fully expect my eight year old son will now want to watch the pay per view when I tell him he’s appearing. Mainstream stars to re-heat business. The Rizzler. Like Mike Tyson in 98. 

Darby vs. Claudio was the only other real highlight. Great fun watching Darby get launched around like a toddler. Bonus points for the way he landed on the big bump outside, immediately wrapped in a sheet, like Claudio had tucked him in for a nap. But a Darby loss? Right now? When absolutely everything is so horrifically ice cold?! Wouldn’t have been my choice!

On balance, I’ve decided Seth Rollins joining The Bloodline isn’t that bad after all. Quite excited about it, actually. Can I just shock you? I cant wait to see him raise his finger in the air with the rest of them. Hopefully he’s wearing a whacky, sparkly Michael Jackson glove.

Edited November 21, 2024 by Supremo

[Nick James]

Jericho slowly pulling things to block his path behind him while not hurrying up was fantastic, a really funny segment. The problem with it, is that's probably given Jericho about another years grace.

We just can't have nice things.

[Tim Healys Chutney Spoon]

One spoiler I read summed up the Jericho segment 'it's an inspired choice, but it'll split the audience. Half will find it hilarious, the other half will find it dumb'. 

 

Speaking of Ricky Starks, has he seriously been sitting at home all this time? Thought he was off to WWE not so long ago?

[DavidB6937]

The Jericho thing was dumb AND funny. That's the sweet spot he hasn't been able to find in ages.

Sadly the rest of the show barely found any sweet spots at all. I don't know how they've managed to make me not give a shit about nearly everything at once but it's quite an achievement.

Often I've said they're exceptional when they're firing on all cylinders. They've barely got one going at the moment.

[FLips]

One thing to remember when signing every single free agent that becomes available is that some of them are free agents for a reason. Not everyone was mishandled or wrongly booked. 
AEW find themselves in a position where the roster is clogged up with shit the other companies didn’t want.

[TheScarlettChad]

MJF promos are 4chan tier lazy shite.