AEW TV 2025 Discussion

[tiger_rick]

32 minutes ago, Duke said:

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

They've gotten flak, deservedly, in the past when their champs have been a bit of an afterthought so I think Toni winning every week on TV is really welcome use of her. Wanting her going into All In as strong as possible regardless of the outcome makes complete sense, especially if Mercedes is going in unbeaten. 

I think they've been fairly careful with who she's beaten too. With the best will in the world, these are dispensible people. I saw someone elsewhere who didn't like her beating three women in one match but Rosa is on the decline and Anna Jay and Penelope are not on, or ever going to be on, her level. She's not beaten Mercedes, Willow, Jamie, Athena or Statlander, who are other stars of the division. The only person with real upside she's beaten on this run is Bayne and she's someone they're clearly testing to see if she has more than "challenger of the month" ability. 

I'm a big fan of this booking. 

[LaGoosh]

Yeah I don't see how incredibly popular babyface winning all her matches could ever be considered bad booking. We're so used to years of awful Vince booking that something completely obvious, simple and logical like this feels like a breath of fresh air. It should be the norm!

[DavidB6937]

They've definitely been careful with the booking. They've luckily built up a strong womens division which allows Toni to look strong regularly without having to sacrifice a bunch of big names. They've been doing it really well lately.

[Guest]

I man, for clarity, I wasn't suggesting this was a bad thing. 

[RedTwoster]

I love the random cameos - Rhino was fun, and Zach Gowen having a match very much speaks to me, I started watching wrestling in late 2002, with Smackdown on Sky One being my gateway drug, so I’m nostalgic for anyone and everyone from that era. I mean seriously, how can you claim you’re ’where the best wrestle’ if you’re not lining up one-off appearances from Nathan Jones, Heidenreich or Orlando Jordan? Do it, Tony. You know you want to. 

 

[BomberPat]

something I loved about AEW early on was the sense that anyone could show up, and in the past few weeks we've had the Rock N Roll Express, Rhino, and Zach Gowen, and that kind of thing is a bit part of Restoring The Feeling for me. Properly for the sickos.

The other thing on Toni Storm winning all these matches, aside from it just being a good way to keep her as a regular featured act, is that because they're "championship eliminators", there's always the sense that someone else could win, and earn a title shot. We're so used, in wrestling, to there being a stipulation that something happens if X wrestler wins, so you just assume that wrestler must be going to win. "If this person wins this match, they get a title shot" makes you assume that they probably will win, eventually. But having Toni win them all so far keeps you guessing.

[organizedkaos]

4 hours ago, tiger_rick said:

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. 

Agreed, as you said its maybe meant the earlier parts of the tournament got a bit lost but essentially giving yourself a month with the finals setup allows them to actually develop the finals as a program between two wrestlers which definitely makes them feel like much bigger deals. 

Often the meaning for a final comes from the endurance of the tournament "this is what's everything's been leading to" but I don't think that works so we'll with 8 person knockout spread over a few weeks. Alternatively you start building the final ad the tournament goes along which is.. spoilerys. This way you essentially use the tournament as the instigating moment for the finals and spend a month doing "nornal" ppv big match build

[RedTwoster]

Talking of cameos from the 2000s, Maven has released a video where he’s backstage at AEW. It’s a nice little video:

 

[LaGoosh]

That Ricochet/Gowen segment was tremendous. Such a weasel he even sneak attacks a guy with one leg. His whiney, pathetic voice is so good for his promos too. So easy to hate the guy.

[Mr_Danger]

I did not appreciate Will Ospreay diminishing Hangman’s beautiful and complex promo with “Sorry for interrupting your little therapy session bruv!”

My favourite modern day wrestler might be a wrestler who wrestles on a show I barely watch which is some doing considering I can’t not see Rafe Spall every time I look at him.

[Supremo]

It speaks to what a banker of an angle commentators standing up for themselves always is, that both WWE and AEW are doing it at the same time. Really hoping it’s Danny Garcia and Nigel McGuinness vs. FTR at Double or Nothing. Great match. Imagine the pop when Schiavone chins Stokely for interfering.

Super impressive how many acts AEW have rehabilitated this year. Ricochet, Max Caster and FTR all felt worthless twelve months ago.

Assuming it’s this week they announce the Death Riders/Elite vs. AEW Super Best Friends Anarchy in the Arena match, the question becomes how do you top the previous instalments? Guys being set on fire with blowtorches. Exploding Superkicks with bombs in your shoe.

The answer seems clear. Intergender Anarchy in the Arena! Get the Queen of Ultra-violence in the match!

Willow Powerbombing Mox through a barb wire table. I need it, Rock. I need it more than anything you can ever imagine.

[Kamran]

This week should be good!

AEW Dynamite: Beach Break

• AEW World Championship Steel Cage Match: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Samoa Joe 
• Will Ospreay & "Hangman" Adam Page vs. Konosuke Takeshita & Josh Alexander
• AEW Women's World Title Eliminator Four-Way Match: Toni Storm vs. Skye Blue vs. TBA vs. TBA
• Ricochet vs. Zach Gowen 

Plus:

 

 

AEW Collision: Beach Break

The only match announced so far is:

• Anna Jay vs. Megan Bayne 

Ric Flair has also been announced to be attending as part of the Steve McMichael tribute.

Edited May 13, 2025 by Kamran

[The King Of Swing]

New Japan spoilers, just to be safe. 

Spoiler

Mina Shirikawa and new NJPW Strong Woman's champion AZM, will be the other two participants. 

 

[LaGoosh]

Should be an absolutely cracking show. You've got the great ring action of the 4 way and tag match, a big time main event, some absurd comedy heel hi jinx with Richochet and a big angle with MJF/Hurt Syndicate. They're firing on all cylinders right now for sure.

[Lorne Malvo]

I really liked that Maven video, with the exception of his one bit of advice to Lady Frost being 'slow down' which is the most Undertaker/Bully Ray/Performance Center bit of WWE 101 advice going. The same advice that turned Randy Orton from one of the more exciting prospects in WWE to the absolute dullard he's been for the past 20 years.

I feel like the last twenty years of mainstream wrestling would be leagues better if the advice wasn't 'slow down' but more 'wrestling matches can be any pace they want to be'. It's a blank canvas, this advice which serves to make every match feel the same boggles my mind.

Seeing his little interactions with Dustin Rhodes and Billy Gunn was really heartwarming and Maven just seems like a good dude. Tony Khan at the end with his story about watching Maven and Orton during Halloween 2004 is one of those little things that endears me to the billionaire nepobaby. It's nice to be reminded every once in a while that he's just a massive fan.

Had no idea Josh Mathews is with AEW now. Begging TK doesn't ever put him on commentary.