AEW TV 2025 Discussion

[Guest]

Great episode of dynamite.

I wasn't sure where Osprey was going with his promo, but I love the idea of him being annoyed that Hangman thinks he can just swan back in to being the top babyface. Entitled Millennial Cowboy that he is. Either way, I hope he wins. And yes, "he" could be either of them. 

The Swerve/Speedchickens vs Buck o shea match was excellent. Just fantastic fun from bell to bell, loved every second of it. 

I also really liked how they gave a little twist to Okada and Knight. We knew Okada was going to win, but Knight got an out, and it gave the match a different story. 

I don't see the return of the Pinnacle, but I do think MJF turns on the Hurt Business next week for making him jump through hoops, but I have no idea who could possibly be intimidating enough to do that. Wardlow? That'd be strange, and would absolutely signal how far he's fallen. 

[digforvictory]

Great episode of Dynamite, the usual stuff. I thought we'd get a bit of a filler episode with a big one to come next week but it was a great show.

They've done a really good job so far with the new signings. Alexander, Kevin Knight, Speedball and Megan Bayne all feel like important members of the roster that have fitted into AEW seamlessly.  Led to the roster feeling a bit refreshed too.

I've seen a few say Thunder Rosa should have won that really good 4 way match to set up a title challenger for Toni but I am loving the fact they just keep putting Toni out there and having her win matches. She's the biggest star in the division and legit one of the biggest stars in the entire company, she should be on a big winning streak.  Maybe the fans will eventually get tired of it but for now they love seeing Toni win.

I keep banging on about it but again, I love how interconnected so much of the stuff at the top of the card is. MJF is doing his stuff with the Hurt Syndicate but he had a run in with Hangman, who he still hates, a few weeks ago and then last night he bumps into Ospreay and teases another match with him down the line.  Feels like a lot of long term planning is going on.

I assume we're getting Edge and Christian back together as a babyface team, it'll be really interesting to see how they turn Christian Cage face. He's been such an excellent truly horrible heel for so long, and there's not even any hints he might be turning back to the good side. There's tension with him and Nick Wayne but it's Christian that is coming across as the prick. 

I think someone here has mentioned it before, but a  pre NWO 96 Luger and Sting partnership might be the way to go. 

 

[Supremo]

“Swerve, I will never forget what you did to me. And I’ll probably never forgive you for it. But I have to put it behind me.”

Well, holy shit. This changes everything. I think even us most loyal and devoted Hangermaniacs had accepted and made peace with the fact that he wasn’t winning this tournament. It wasn’t his time. He was still broken. He needed to lose, hit rock bottom, then find an unexpected helping hand from his former hated rival in Swerve.

It was going to be Hangman and Swerve vs. The Young Bucks at All In. The real championships were the friends we made and the wounds we healed along the way.

But trust the best character in the business, portrayed by the best performer in the business, to completely subvert expectations. Maybe he’s going to do it! Put right what once went wrong! Fix the timeline! Do it for worker’s rights!

All I’ve wanted for the longest time is Hangman and Swerve to trade a fist bump or shake hands. In my head it gets one of those amazing, feel good pops like when The Shield would re-unite or Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens would hug. Now though? Fucking hell.

Imagine it’s Hangman vs. Mox at All In. Hangman comes in with the old music, to save the whole company. Big, wild, Wrestlemania 40-style crescendo with everyone running in. And then as the dust settles and Hangman goes to hit The Buckshot, it’s Swerve that gives him the same nod Matt Jackson gave him last time.

Sweet Jesus. I’ll weep.

What a fantastic bit of business this Owen Tournament turned into. The most perfect final between the two absolute best. A humongous match that’s impossible to call. Two highly-invested characters, with their own clearly-defined arcs, clashing for the very first time, in what’ll probably be a Match of the Year candidate. Fuckin’ A. It really can be this simple.

Plus, bonus points to everyone just making it about competitive spirit, tournament cups and championship belts, because looking at these two gorgeous barnets there was clearly another very tempting direction they could have gone in.

Edited May 8, 2025 by Supremo

[LaGoosh]

I want Hangman to win it but I feel pretty confident Ospreay is taking this. Just because I can see a clear path for Hangman for All In if he loses but I can't see one for Ospreay. But I would be pleasantly surprised if they went the other way.

As for moving on from Swerve well, that's the great part of this. Hangman says this now but face to face with the man himself it still feels like any little thing could set him off and make him want to murder Swerve all over again. 

The upper/main event scene is great at the moment. Feels like there's loads of storyline balls up in the air and wherever/whenever they land something good will come out of it. One of my criticisms of AEW booking in the past is that they've been shy about having their big characters interact and giving away big matches - they certainly don't seem to have that issue anymore and it's improved everything tremendously.

Also I feel like they are going to go with FTR vs Daniel Garcia and Nigel McGuinness at Double or Nothing which would be a cool little match for sure.

Mercedes running away from Hayer screaming like a pathetic, cowardly heel only to almost immediately return to viciously sneak attack her is exactly the type of angle I want to see more of. Love that AEW is so full of truly despicable villains right now. There's no cool heels here. Just cowards, cheats and utter scumbags. 

Edited May 8, 2025 by LaGoosh

[tiger_rick]

Not a lot to add. Such a great product right now. It's a pity the company has lost steam with the mainstream because this is the best pro-wrestling product for 25 years week to week. Shame more people aren't seeing it.

This is a great point from the Twoster:

8 hours ago, RedTwoster said:

I love the AEW women’s division right now, and it finally feels like they’re remembering to use basically all of their potential megastars.

It's not just the women, either. I feel like we were all screaming at them at points last year to get the focus on the biggest stars and get them on TV every week and they're doing such a good job of it. They've finally got a list of the best men and the best women and it feels like their production starts with what each of them are doing on every Dynamite (and sometimes Collision) and where they're going to cross over and why.  

MJF and Ospreay was my favourite bit of nonsense on the show. Just great stuff. Ospreay is a real revelation for me. I just knew he was a flippy guy, was good in Japan and something about his Mum's car or van or house or summat. He's just brilliant at everything. 

Hurt Syndicate are having a weekly will they/won't they accept MJF, who has had run ins with Hangman and Ospreay recently, who are facing each other in the final of the Owen, and have had a run in with the Callis Family, who are also in a long-term feud with Kenny Omega, who keeps hinting at a meeting with Okada, who is in the Elite with the Young Bucks, who have some sort of Alliance with the Death Riders, who are feuding with Samoa Joe and Will Hobbs and Shibata and also have beef with Swerve, who has unfinished business with Hangman and issues with Ricochet, and beef with Hangman while Ospreay - who partnered Kenny recently - has promised twice to get around to Moxley, who, by the way, ended the title reign and full-time career of Bryan Danielson, who hasn't been seen since, and is also wanted by Darby Allin. 

Where is any of this going? Who on earth knows. I think Ospreay wins the Owen and dethrones Moxley. I think Kenny beats Okada at All In and unites the belts. After that? I have no idea whatsoever. This promotion currently rules.    

7 hours ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

Claudio is still shit

You're insane.

6 hours ago, LaGoosh said:

New theme song for Dynamite by Sum 41 of all people cracked me up. Wrestling music tastes absolutely refuse to leave the 2000s.

I had no idea what it was or who by before your post, I just recognised it as fresh, and it fit. I liked it.

I accidentally paused on this screen when I went back to listen again, by the way. What a shot this is:

[Supremo]

I’m deadly serious that in this year’s Wrestling Observer Awards, the, “United States/Canada MVP,” award should go to whoever scouts buildings for AEW.

I’m assuming it’s Double J. And look what else he found! Monty Brown sighting! There is no justice in this world if he doesn’t get a short run in AEW.

 

[LaGoosh]

That new backstage interviewer they've got is shockingly bad. I don't want to say she only got the job because she's MJF's girlfriend but I'm struggling to think of any other good reason. Renee is obviously incredible and Lexy Nair is pretty decent too but this new lass needs to go asap.

[Joe Blog]

I could stare at Rhyno all day, he is the most oddly shaped man I have ever seen. For having worked for so many big promotions he screams butlins/holiday camp wrestler with his crowd work and mannerisms. A truly fascinating man(beast)

[Lorne Malvo]

On 5/4/2025 at 8:44 AM, LaGoosh said:

 

@RedTwoster we had a separate Collision thread last year and I think I was the only person who ever posted in it. ?

The last year of the ROH thread has just been me moaning about it so I think a Collision thread would be fine!

Seeing Ricochet posing next to The Young Bucks was such a stark contrast to last years terrible incarnation of the Elite with Jack Perry doing his semi-cryptic spooky bollocks shit, it's staggering how much more momentum the company seems to have at the moment. Long may it continue.

[RedTwoster]

7 hours ago, Lorne Malvo said:

Seeing Ricochet posing next to The Young Bucks was such a stark contrast to last years terrible incarnation of the Elite with Jack Perry doing his semi-cryptic spooky bollocks shit, it's staggering how much more momentum the company seems to have at the moment. Long may it continue.

If the rumours floating around last month about Luchasaurus being ready for a return, I’d love to see he and Perry reunite as Jurassic Express. The tag division could do with a little more depth, and I don’t think either of them are better off as singles wrestlers. 

[Supremo]

Ricochet stole Zach Gowen’s leg.

Biggest success story of the modern age.

[tiger_rick]

17 hours ago, LaGoosh said:

That new backstage interviewer they've got is shockingly bad. I don't want to say she only got the job because she's MJF's girlfriend but I'm struggling to think of any other good reason. Renee is obviously incredible and Lexy Nair is pretty decent too but this new lass needs to go asap.

Genuinely no idea who you are on about. Think I'm so completely engaged with the people cutting the promos, I've not even noticed a new interviewer.

Perfectly serviceable Collision episode. Nothing too groundbreaking but Ricochet kicking the leg out of Zach Gowen's leg was incredible stuff.

I'm going to do a U-turn on something. I still think the last PPV was a bust with all the Own tournament matches on it and I'd have kept most of them back for TV however, wrapping up the tournament quickly and hyping the finals to death - along with hyping Mox/Joe to death for Beach Break special - has been very, very smart and given the TV extra focus. 

[DavidB6937]

AEW are very good at turning things around. Can take them a while and they can be stubborn about some things but on the whole they're much better at course correcting compared to WWE who generally just have their plans and will get to their end goals no matter what.

[Supremo]

On 5/6/2025 at 1:16 PM, I Bent My Wookie said:

Part of me currently wants a AEW version of the Mixed Match Challenge.

Hear me out.

The Pouncers!

[Guest]

So I'm assuming they're just having Toni beat the entire division so she's strong when Mercedes beats her at All In.