AEW Dynamite Thread 2024

[Nick James]

On 12/12/2024 at 5:34 PM, Nick James said:

Admittedly, I've only seen the highlight of Toni returning, but it came across very 2019 WWE, in that she came out, stood looking emotional then that was it.

Why didn't she run down to the run? Take out Mariah who put her on the shelf and made her 'retire'?

Just a very odd return, that was more like a debut than a return in the middle of a blood feud.

Absolutely more than happy to admit this was completely knee jerk and I've done a complete 180 on the segment and angle. The more this has played out this week and the theories coming out of it have convinced me that this is actually a really good and smart angle. 

Whether its Toni going loopy or her being the actor playing her former character to lure in Mariah, there are some really good options for where this can go.

I was wrong. 

[Supremo]

Adam Cole simply cannot catch a break. Even when he gets the pay per view match with MJF, an infinitely more exciting MJF match appears on the horizon. With a proper wrestler. Muscles. Human coloured skin. Best punch in the biz.

Call the audible, Tony!

 

Edited December 16, 2024 by Supremo

[Chili]

They should take whatever they're paying Mone and give it to Mina Shirakawa so she can just have a segment where she dances every week until the ratings improve, and if they don't they should still have Mina Shirakawa in a segment where she dances every week.

 

[Lorne Malvo]

Really enjoyed the opening tag match and all of the Continental Classic matches.

Cole/Kyle is the least I've been interested in an AEW match possibly ever. Running back NXT storylines that were happening back when AEW were beating NXT in the ratings (remember those days?) is such an odd decision.

I think my biggest 'make it make sense, Tony' issue this week was Moxley being the one to issue the challenge for a Fatal 4-way. A few weeks back he was running scared of Orange Cassidy but now he's got the bollocks to challenge OC and 2 of AEW's best at the same time? It smacks of Moxley booking his own stuff and still wanting to come across as an hardcase even though he's the heel.

Looking forwards to seeing where the Toni Storm stuff goes.

[DavidB6937]

13 minutes ago, Lorne Malvo said:

Cole/Kyle is the least I've been interested in an AEW match possibly ever. Running back NXT storylines that were happening back when AEW were beating NXT in the ratings (remember those days?) is such an odd decision.

And of course it's worse because it goes even further back than that. I'm guessing like 15 years or so now probably? Madness. I guess because TK loves his ROH and PWG etc, he probably thinks it's the best thing ever.

[BomberPat]

1 hour ago, Lorne Malvo said:

I think my biggest 'make it make sense, Tony' issue this week was Moxley being the one to issue the challenge for a Fatal 4-way. A few weeks back he was running scared of Orange Cassidy but now he's got the bollocks to challenge OC and 2 of AEW's best at the same time? It smacks of Moxley booking his own stuff and still wanting to come across as an hardcase even though he's the heel.

In classic AEW style, it would only take one line of dialogue from an opponent or from commentary to make it make sense. Moxley didn't want to fight any of them until they started fighting among themselves - now he knows they can't put up a unified front, and will likely take each other out, he's happy to pick up the scraps.

[WeeAl]

Throw in the towel on this Death riders carry on. 2024 was kind of hot shotty with the belt. Joe had it for 4 months, Swerve for 4, Danielson for 2. You could make the case all of those reigns were cut short. Moxley has been champ for two months now and it feels too long. Fuck it, put the belt on OC at the PPV and see if he can recapture the glory of his first International title reign. 

Failing that, book a big Dynamite special for 4 weeks later, the end of January to break up the gap to Revolution and build to Moxley versus either Ospreay, Swerve or Hangman. Pick who your guy is for the next year and go with it. Darby winning the belt in March is no solution because he shouldn't be anything other than a transitional champ at best. 

Fucking Cole/O'Reilly. Just jack this in already. Put MJF over at the PPV and align him and Garcia again over the TNT title. Cole, O'Reilly and all their mates go to ROH. Simples. 

I can't be having Ricochet at all, but Brody beating the piss out of him here was the best thing he's ever done. Unfortunately it took half the match before I cared because Rick O'Shea's promo was his usual bollocks. Plus, he's also joined the recent AEW trend of some awful entrance themes. 

Best thing on the show, by a country mile, was the Christian angle. I guess this is all heading towards Darby beating Mox in March, Christian taking the title pretty quickly after that, and then dropping it following a short reign himself? Seems like it anyway. 

[DavidB6937]

If there was ever an episode to capture the ups and downs of AEW perfectly.

Ospreay and Darby killing each other for a MOTY candidate.

And then this.

 

The lettuce in my fridge has more personality than Ricochet.

WWE's approach of having Bron just beat him up everywhere on the way out was absolutely right. Just replicate that with Lashley and we'll be fine.

[thatvinylgeek]

Ospreay v Darby was great, go watch it

I'm sure somebody has already say it, but surely Timeless Toni Storm is playing the role of Toni Storm, it's her role of a lifetime darling....maybe they even go down the routs of her becoming a super fan of Mariah and reverse the angle...although that may be a bit much

[Chili]

Fuck off that's class that. You know how we all knew one day Hanger was going to go for Kenny Omega so everyone was grand with the wait for the payoff. I'm like that with this angle, I know the endgame is Mariah May getting her commupance, it's not predictable, it's just really justified, so I'm happy to go along for the ride and let this play out. For a promotion putting out a product I'm not interested in watching at the moment, they can still give you fun stuff like this where you just enjoy it.

 

[tiger_rick]

Another really great show. The C2 keeps delivering bloody great wrestling. Darby and Ospreay kicked in after the ad break and that finishing stretch was great. Enjoyed Sheltie and Mortos throwing each other around too. Good opener with continued focus on what a star Mercedes is, solid main and decent tag. Toni's skit was awesome. Kenny's coming back, hurrah. Decent promo from FTR. Intriguing direction for Ricochet who seems to be turning heel but on his own, snivelling terms. Tolerable stuff from Max & the vanilla midgets. And holy fuck, they've found a way to make a minute of Chris Jericho OK. 

Big picture, I'm not feeling the 4 way. They've done a solid job of setting it up ever since it became obvious this was the direction weeks ago but it's just not a marquee match and it's on a show that doesn't have one otherwise. They should have gone with White as the challenger, with Hangman and OC promising to do everything they can to get the title off Moxley. Would have been a better dynamic. The four way becomes too much about the other guys not getting along. The whole angle needs more focus if they insist on talking about "control of AEW" as they did again last night. 

Also, big picture, it seems clear the direction is Darby unseating Moxley at some point, which I'm fine with. The problem is that leaves Ospreay, Hangman, Swerve, Kenny, etc without any real end game in the next year or so. Any of them could be "the" guy. That's without considering people I'd love to see really break through too. It's the problem with such a stacked roster of talent. Too much feels like holding pattern feuds to keep people busy rather than genuine steps on the ladder towards something. 

[LaGoosh]

6 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

Big picture, I'm not feeling the 4 way.

I don't think 4 way main event title matches ever really work. They usually feel like filler or a bit of a booking cop out.

[The Gaffer]

1 hour ago, LaGoosh said:

I don't think 4 way main event title matches ever really work. They usually feel like filler or a bit of a booking cop out.

Genuinely struggling to think of a 4 way that stood out to me or had any sort of weight over the years actually so yeah, it's classic Winter dead-zone fodder. 

Decent episode. I didn't mind the Ricochet stuff! It's one of those cases - for me - where I'm already in the camp of this guy having no personality and being of no interest to me so throwing any old bollocks on him - being a simpering sycophant in this case - is an improvement. 

There was a yellow tan jab in there but MJF bringing up a Photoshop of Adam Cole was the drizzling shits. One of the most lethargic acts in the business going full 2001 Chris Jericho "LOOK AT THE BIG STUPID BABY ON THE TITANTRON HAHA!" Rubbish. 

Everything else was good to great. It's still Quiet Era and I'm never going to vote in favour of Jon "Germ mask? No thank you, but drain cleaner? Hardcore!" Moxley's grimdark twist on the top of the card but it's not bad stuff by any stretch. 

Edited December 19, 2024 by The Gaffer

[DavidB6937]

1 minute ago, The Gaffer said:

Decent episode. I didn't mind the Ricochet stuff! It's one of those cases - for me - where I'm already in the camp of this guy having no personality and being of no interest to me so throwing any old bollocks on him - being a simpering sycophant in this case - is an improvement. 

I know there will be a lot of "wait and see!" type comments but for a guy that has come to AEW to prove himself and that he was held down in WWE etc etc etc, is presenting him as a pussy the best way? I'd rather he had no personality at all, didn't talk and just unleashed himself in the matches and showed his 'true' skill that we apparently missed previously.

Especially when the Hurt guys seem really over at the moment, so it's an odd bit of booking. I haven't seen much positivity for the segment really. A lot of people questioning what they're doing to Ricochet.

Who knows. I guess we'll see. But at the moment my interest in him is going down week on week which can't be a good thing.

[LaGoosh]

1 minute ago, DavidB6937 said:

just unleashed himself in the matches and showed his 'true' skill that we apparently missed previously.

I think all his matches since his debut has shown that this does not exist.