AEW Worlds End 2024 Discussion

[LaGoosh]

10 minutes ago, BrodyGraham said:

Thunder Rosa remains almost a female Ricky Starks. People keep telling me she's important or good or a star, but I don't think she stands out in any way other than a talent for 'hustle' or self promotion.

This is an interesting and good point. I don't think Thunder Rosa is particularly talented at anything, but I find her likeable for some intangible reason and she has a lot of babyface fire so for that reason I think she justifies a mid card slot. Starks can be very good on occasion but is very inconsistent and didn't seem to be improving or anywhere near as good as he thinks/promotes himself as.

[Mr Butternut Squash]

Thought I’d give this a shot

Disappointing opener. Osprey bled a tremendous gusher only to wrestle the same old Will Osprey match. Fine if you’re into that but the blood teased something more interesting. I like Fletcher, but I didn’t see this tremendous new heel I keep hearing about. Didn’t feel much heat/hate in his work and it felt more like a typical back and forth sprint with blood tacked on. I guess the blood was there to give Will a sense of peril for later in the night but he did a rubbish job of selling it.

Okada/Ricochet was more like it. I like how surfboard Okada gets the absolute most out of building his handful of spots. The dropkick, the elbow, the Rainmaker, and best of all, the slaphead! Lovely, emphatic finish. Post-match was a bit silly but I thought Ricochet did a great job of looking down and out. Great visual of him depressed surrounded by bog roll.

Not watching a Thunder Rosa match.

Watched MJF/Cole out of morbid curiosity. Was completely forgettable really. Even by his standards, MJF was working overtime doing his heel schtick. That and the double juice felt like a way to disguise Cole’s shortcomings, although Cole’s dork mates standing at ringside in the most awkward and unnatural way kind of undercut his much needed babyface heat anyway. There’s so many things wrong with this feud, but 5 on 1 babyface beatdowns feel like the most obvious own goal in the world.

Nice to see Hobbs and Takeshita in a PPV singles match. They went in a direction I wasn’t expecting but I enjoyed it. Hobbs slipping off the turnbuckle before the superplex was probably a botch but it’s one of those happy accidents that only adds to the story of the match. Crowd became super invested after that. Nice clean finish, if a bit out of nowhere. 

Might watch the rest later.

[Chili]

Felt a bit robbed with the end of the MJF/Adam Cole. Firstly, the crowd actually reacting to anything was deeply insulting and only encourages them, plus there was no Bobby Fish return. Imagine how this product could actually turn a corner if they pulled the trigger on The Death Riders feuding with Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Matt Taven, Bobby Fish, Roderick Strong AND Mike Bennett for the soul of AEW or whatever bollocks. Phwoor!

Fair play to Kyle O'Reilly. Started hanging about with other characters, actually managed to show some personality, he even started getting people liking him who weren't arsed about the Undisputed Era lore from NXT from years and years ago. Even I began to genuinely enjoy him, and either he or someone else was like 'Popularity? More organically over? Yeah, not for me lads.'

[HarmonicGenerator]

She’s still got the worst music in wrestling history, but Mercedes put a shift in on this show. Excellent match with Statlander.

Ospreay and Okada was a bit good too. Omega vs Okada feels like a big match for All In Texas.

Main event wasn’t great, but thank goodness for Copeland taking the stink off FTR coming out. Shame the two of them will presumably stand back and watch if the Death Riders try and kill him on Wednesday. They don’t disagree with their methods, after all, they got no problem.

Edited December 29, 2024 by HarmonicGenerator

[DavidB6937]

Mercedes is still the same Mercedes. People saying we should all be won over now but the in ring stuff was always her strong point. I've just never been able to buy into her as a character and without that emotional investment the performances end up very shallow. So yeah absolutely she's put on some great matches but imagine how much better they'd be if I actually cared.

[The King Of Swing]

A decent show but outside of Okada winning and Omega and Copeland returning, little of genuine interest really happened. 

I'm honestly done with both May and Mone as champions.

A Statlander redemption arc could be good but I have no faith in them sticking with it. Hell don't be shocked if we don't see her for another month. 

Once again Willow doesn't show up to take out Marina, despite doing it recently. 

Outside of the Toni Storm storyline, the woman's division feels dead. 

FTR. Fuck off you boring twats. 

MJF and Cole. Fuck off you boring twats.

Main event was an enjoyable bit of chaos but not a PPV main event, imo. Felt more like a Dynamite special. 

[Chili]

Forgot to add this was absolutely world class. Kazuchika Okada might be some seven star super wrestler, good for him. But his poker face mixed with his dry shithouse humour is so, so entertaining. 

 

[DavidB6937]

I love how they've managed to make Okada stand out in a way no one expected. When they sign top star after top star it's so easy for them to get lost in the shuffle so all credit to them for giving him something different. It's a shame they haven't managed to do the same with some others.

[Statto]

5 hours ago, Slapnut said:

For me, I can’t help but feel like it’s a waste of the clearly limited time we have left with Kenny as an active wrestler. This match happened, what, three or four times in New Japan right? There are loads of fresh matches for him I’d prefer to see before he hangs up his boots.

I'm not against revisiting the Omega-Okada rivalry in a different setting, but... If Omega, the last remaining EVP with a backbone, is returning to resume his position, why is he doing so to tease a dream rematch, rather than confront the faction trying to destroy the company? 

[The King Of Swing]

19 minutes ago, Statto said:

I'm not against revisiting the Omega-Okada rivalry in a different setting, but... If Omega, the last remaining EVP with a backbone, is returning to resume his position, why is he doing so to tease a dream rematch, rather than confront the faction trying to destroy the company? 

That's a fair point. 

To be honest I've given up on the wider Deathriders storyline and just treat it as Mox trying to justify being a chicken shit champion.

Works better that way for me.

 

[Doog]

Has Statlander/Mone finished yet? Christ it just kept going, was genuinely surprised it was only 24 minutes when I checked afterwards, felt like it was going on hours. Dull as fuck.

[LaGoosh]

4 hours ago, Mr Butternut Squash said:

Not watching a Thunder Rosa match

It was actually pretty fun.

[The King Of Swing]

Oddest part of the TBS match for me was Mone trying to shithouse her way to a count out win, only to win clean anyway. 

It's well past time she dropped the belt. She could easily move onto something else without it and would probably benefit from a change. 

Come to think of it has she even wrestled in anything other than TBS Title  matches, since her debut? 

[Doog]

RatedFTR can get in the bin aswell, I like Copeland but him and FTR in the main event is bollocks. Hopefully they get squashed on Wednesday, if FTR never showed up again it would be too soon.

Just got to hope Moxley thanks them and shakes their hands after the match otherwise all hell will break loose.

[LaGoosh]

Takeshita/Hobbs was easily my match of the Night. Would happily watch a couple more from those two. Ospreay/Okada was also excellent  - great to finally see the big match Okada I've heard so much about in AEW.

Overall, the show had a lot of decent/very good stuff on it that deserved better(and a some shite) but as a whole not to the insanely high standard they've set themselves. It was B show that could have been an A show.

Edited December 29, 2024 by LaGoosh