AEW TV 2025 Discussion

[BomberPat]

What has been the point of the entire Hurt Syndicate/MJF story?

MJF spends weeks begging to be part of the group, with some of the worst segments to make AEW TV this year, a real down point on what were otherwise great shows - Attitude Era level bollocks of expecting the audience to give a shit about a shiny new car, and of parading anonymous women as a gift to male wrestlers.

They eventually accept, and work a few Trios matches together, but have no meaningful storyline interactions. The Hurt Syndicate's feud with JetSpeed is not in any way affected by MJF being a member of their stable. MJF feuds with Mistico and with Mark Briscoe, and then wins a Casino Gauntlet to become number one contender, and none of those stories involve the Hurt Syndicate in the slightest, nor has membership in the Hurt Syndicate changed MJF's character at all, so the stories play out exactly the same as if he had just been on his own the whole time anyway.

Because they're now with MJF, the Hurt Syndicate, who were pretty well threading the needle of being "bad-ass heels" that the crowd sometimes liked but would root against when they had the right babyface opponents, now feature MVP doing the kind of lowest common denominator "your local sports team sucks" cheap heat heel promos that MJF does on his worst day. But then they're happy to go into business with babyface Adam Copeland, and while they at least made an angle out of MJF not being happy about it, why was Cope happy to work with these guys who have been dickheads for the last couple of months? Does he not have other mates he could have asked for help?

So then we get to what feels like the beginning of a break-up angle, with Lashley - who spent weeks not wanting MJF in the Hurt Syndicate - not wanting MJF in the Hurt Syndicate. They have done nothing together as a faction, the story just hasn't progressed, and now it's fast-forwarding to the end. Neither MJF or the Hurt Syndicate have been improved by working together. It just feels like they needed something to kill time for MJF for a few months to keep him away from the title, and if that's all it was, fine, but it took a daft route to get there.

[Chris B]

I don't think it would be great, but I actually wouldn't be averse to a Cope/MJF feud until Christian is back and to hold off on MJF/Hangman for a little bit.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, BomberPat said:

What has been the point of the entire Hurt Syndicate/MJF story?

I am convinced that either a) it's a terrible swerve and they'll do a horseman beatdown on someone soon, or more likely b) Something significant has changed behind the scenes and they needed to get the Hurts as babyfaces to take on FTR. No idea what that would be, but it was so jarring that I can't imagine that it was the plan, and it would also explain the weird empty brackets in the tag tournament. 

[Ro_y Disco]

It has to be option b) otherwise I don't know what's so 'forbidden' about Hurts/FTR and why it needed a tournament. 

I can't decide if leaving the rest of the brackets empty is because they've been forced into having to do a tournament, or if the company that's usually so meticulous about arranging these things has a surprise entry planned. Which still feels a strange way to book things.

[Infinity Land]

54 minutes ago, Ro_y Disco said:

It has to be option b) otherwise I don't know what's so 'forbidden' about Hurts/FTR and why it needed a tournament. 

I can't decide if leaving the rest of the brackets empty is because they've been forced into having to do a tournament, or if the company that's usually so meticulous about arranging these things has a surprise entry planned. Which still feels a strange way to book things.

They will probably throw in NJPW & CMLL teams. Which would factor in to nothing else being announced so far. 

[The King Of Swing]

MJF is still the drizzling shits.

LOL DEAD REALITIVE I'M SO EDGY. Fuck off you boring, one note cunt. 

Hope he actually is getting fucked off by The Hurt Syndicate. Because he's dragging them down with him. 

Other than that and Hangman being Hangman, bang average episode.

Athena's chances of winning the title decrease every time she opens her gob. Amazing. 

[Chili]

On the Death Riders, obviously Gabe Kidd is fucked now and out of the G1, but I think their endgame should be more chickens coming home to roost. We've had the super faces of AEW unite to stop Mox having an unfair retain over Hangman. With Darby back, and hopefully Eddie Kingston & Orange Cassidy not far off, I'd have those 3 and Willow Nightingale together as people with prior issues to get involved. Get whatevs' Statlander's deal is paid off there too with a run in. Blood & Guts or something. Whatever they go with Wheeler Yuta is probably the one to keep an eye on in this going forward. Our sweet lovely Hanger not completely taking him out to prove a point to Yuta smacks of AEW teasing something.

What's the timeframe on PAC? How badly did he do his leg in?

Edited July 26, 2025 by Chili

[RedTwoster]

A bit of a nothing episode of Collision, with one or two highlights.

I wish they’d stop doing the matches for money. And I also wish they’d stop giving O’Reilly and Strong mic time. That promo at the end of the show annoyed me so much that I struggled to enjoy what was a decent main event. I hate them.

The highlight of the show was the apparent double turn from Bowens and Caster - or start of it, at least. Bowens has a lot of potential, but his babyface run tanked. And how can you not like Caster? I could see Bowens becoming a very valuable mid-level heel for AEW.

I really enjoyed the Bang Bang Gang’s promo, as short as it was. Austin Gunn is surprisingly excellent on the mic, and Juice is also brilliant. Jay White might be the bigger name, but I don’t think they need him.

Rhodes giving Fletcher a match in which interference is legal was a bit of a mistake. I’m sure it’ll be fun, though.

I’m very much enjoying Thekla so far. She and Megan Bayne have felt important quickly, and I’d like to see one of them take the TBS title from Mercedes. 

AR Fox is pretty good on the mic. Nick Wayne on the other hand is pretty average. I know he’s young, but I don’t see any value in him whatsoever at this stage. He might benefit from an extended stint in ROH, with a break from main AEW television. 

[LaGoosh]

I saw in an interview that Juice Robinson no longer wants to be a wacky comedy character and wants to been seen as a serious wrestler going forwards. Massive mistake. He was so great as the bearded little goblin maniac, his new look is just awful, looks incredibly low rent, and he's gotten rid of everything that made him jump out at the audience. 

The world has too many serious wrestlers.

Austin Gunn is tremendous. I love him.

Edited July 27, 2025 by LaGoosh

[RedTwoster]

4 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

I saw in an interview that Juice Robinson no longer wants to be a wacky comedy character and wants to been seen as a serious wrestler going forwards. Massive mistake. He was so great as the bearded little goblin maniac, his new look is just awful, looks incredibly low rent, and he's gotten rid of everything that made him jump out at the audience. 

The world has too many serious wrestlers.

Austin Gunn is tremendous. I love him.

There’s definitely a stigma about being a comedy character in wrestling - but leaning into your quirky side doesn’t hold you back in AEW as it might in other companies. Look at Orange Cassidy, look at The Outrunners, Toni Storm or even Mark Briscoe as examples. If you get the balance right, it can work.

Having said that, I’m really enjoying this version of the Juice character - while he could have kept the facial hair, I understand why he didn’t - to highlight visually that he’s not the same person. His mic work has been tremendous and I like that he’s been able to show another side of his skillset. There are a lot of serious wrestlers - you’re right - but I think AEW has a good balance on the roster of character-types. There’s room for Juice to try something new, and if it doesn’t work, he always has his former character in his back pocket. But for me at least, it’s working. 

[Snitsky's back acne]

30 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

I saw in an interview that Juice Robinson no longer wants to be a wacky comedy character and wants to been seen as a serious wrestler going forwards. Massive mistake. He was so great as the bearded little goblin maniac, his new look is just awful, looks incredibly low rent, and he's gotten rid of everything that made him jump out at the audience. 

The world has too many serious wrestlers.

Austin Gunn is tremendous. I love him.

Sadly, it seems to be a thing with some wrestlers where they don't want to do what actually made them different and stand out for fear of "not being taken seriously". Maybe it's an ego thing. For a prime example of this see: Dunne, Pete.  

[Chili]

Juice Robinson is a good wrestler but he can get stuffed with that poppycock. Bryan Danielson is a serious wrestler but he pisses character still. Juice Robinson could have still been that same weird guy and just toned the comedy element. Serious wrestlers are fucking dull. Still got Braden Walker vibes ponging off him. Glad he's at least thrown some facial hair back on.

Edited July 27, 2025 by Chili

[LaGoosh]

48 minutes ago, Snitsky's back acne said:

For a prime example of this see: Dunne, Pete.  

I try to avoid seeing Pete Dunne as much as possible. 

[RedTwoster]

1 hour ago, Chili said:

Juice Robinson is a good wrestler but he can get stuffed with that poppycock. Bryan Danielson is a serious wrestler but he pisses character still. Juice Robinson could have still been that same weird guy and just toned the comedy element. Serious wrestlers are fucking dull. Still got Braden Walker vibes ponging off him. Glad he's at least thrown some facial hair back on.

He’s kind of doing that, though - or at least, that’s how it seems to me. I suspect the facial hair thing is short term, just to create the idea of this being a different version of Juice. By the time he’s grown it back a bit, job done.

I hope he wins everyone else over, because I’m enjoying this version of Juice.

[I Bent My Wookie]

Always a fan of the ringside mics picking up the crowd comments.

Bowens walking up the ramp looking pissed and as he looks back "You used to scissor each other!"

Perfect