AEW TV 2025 Discussion

[LaGoosh]

Good Dynamite this week. I had a few niggles though:

- the layout of the show. I often feel this. I know the shows are laid out based upon some complex data algorithm or something that AEW uses based on viewership data to maximise ratings but sometimes I feel like that is at the expense of creating a fulfilling and well paced episode of wrestling TV. For example, ending on a flat trios match rather than the emotional high of an Edge and Christian reunion. 

- match length. That 8 man went over two advert breaks and had three heat segments. It's just too long no matter how good the action is. You could have achieved everything needed and shaved off about 6-7 minutes of the match which could have been used for something else.

- threading a story through the show. The Team Ospreay stuff should have taken placed over 3-4 segments rather than just two. Pace the Omega, Gabe Kiddand Ibushi announcements over the show. Have a segment where Ospreay gets Kenny on speakerphone. Be creative with it and draw it out for maximum impact. 

- that main event. Completely out of nowhere with zero heat. You could have got a few weeks of decent TV out of this rather than just blowing it off in one big nothing. And another multi person tag felt like one too many. Should have been a mid show Hobbs vs Mortos singles where you set up an LFI/Opps feud. Do some more singles over the next few weeks (RUSH vs Joe please) then you've successfully built up a decent Trios titles main event for Collision in a couple weeks time. 

- WINDSORRR! She's great in the ring but she'll really needs something more than shouting her name. Speaking of which, Queen Aminata is also great but really needs to play up her gimmick more.

Overall though, the company is doing excellently. 

That cage match is the wonderfully bonkers type of booking that only AEW has the guts to do. 

Hangman is the best. 

[BomberPat]

32 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

- WINDSORRR! She's great in the ring but she'll really needs something more than shouting her name. Speaking of which, Queen Aminata is also great but really needs to play up her gimmick more.

She has a fun dynamic in promos with Toni, where she's trying to be fun and come up with catchphrases, while also trying to stop Toni from turning everything into an innuendo, inevitably leading to Toni coming out with something even worse. One of those things that was a problem for AEW early on but they had mostly moved away from, where the best character work was online rather than being shown on TV. I'm just glad they're letting her be her own thing, I was dreading she'd have just been brought in to be Mrs. Ospreay from the jump.

Completely agreed about everything to do with pacing, though. I know there will be reasons that they've determined what to put where, and that means it's not the traditional flow of a TV wrestling show, but it makes it a really disjointed watch as a viewer.

And I shouldn't be in a position to complain about getting to see Samoa Joe wrestle Beast Mortos and RUSH, but not only did that match not have any build, it was Joe's first appearance since being taken out by the Death Riders. I'm not suggesting they keep going back to the Opps vs. Death Riders, but why would Samoa Joe of all people not immediately be going after the people who put him on the shelf? Why is he just shrugging it off to work a normal match? It could have tied into your idea of spreading the cage match story out across more segments - why not have Joe, and maybe Jet-Speed, talking to Ospreay about that match, but stepping aside to allow someone else to take the spot? Or have the Death Riders think that they're going to be Ospreay's choices, so take them out pre-emptively, only for Ospreay to reveal that he's got Omega and Ibushi on-board. Anything but what we got, really.

[RedTwoster]

Not really much to do with anything, but it’s so much fun being able to come on in this thread and talk about wrestling in a positive way, when pretty much everyone is enjoying what AEW are doing right now. I find myself buzzing for every AEW show - even Collision, which is often my favourite show of the week. 

AEW has had a fantastic 2025, and the biggest complement I can pay them is that I’m really excited for Forbidden Door this year, which is usually the PPV I feel least bothered about. 

Although he’s not as good as he once was, I really like that they’ve had the balls to go with MJF as Hangman’s first title defence. Usually you get a second-rate challenger who’s clearly primed to lose, but I don’t think that’s a lock here. I don’t want Hangman to drop the belt so soon, but I do think it’s possible. I love the unpredictability of it all.

[Supremo]

3 minutes ago, RedTwoster said:

Although he’s not as good as he once was, I really like that they’ve had the balls to go with MJF as Hangman’s first title defence. Usually you get a second-rate challenger who’s clearly primed to lose…

K̶a̶n̶e̶ Lance Archer!

[LaGoosh]

13 minutes ago, Supremo said:

K̶a̶n̶e̶ Lance Archer!

To be fair, that Texas Deathmatch he had with Hangman for the title was fucking GREAT. A minor classic.

[Lorne Malvo]

I thought this was a rare duff Dyno, unfortuntely. While I'm happy that Forbidden Door has a strong mostly-AEW card, it almost feels like AEW thought they had another week to build to the PPV, realised they didn't and went 'oh shit, better make some matches' as the build-up to most of the card has been frustratingly rushed and sloppy for me.

MJF going from 'I'm not signing the contract' to 'okay, I'm signing the contract' over the course of 30 seconds didn't come across as Hangman outsmarting him, it just made MJF look stupid.

Likewise, Christian Cage being completely unrepentant for his actions during his never-ending promo two weeks ago to making the save for Cope this week, to their big reunion being confirmed in a graphic later in the show. It seems like I've missed a beat of the story somewhere.

And lastly The Opps not being involved in the Death Riders stuff at all despite them taking Joe out at All In was strange, But the big cage match gets announced then Omega and Ibushi are confirmed - again, not with a promo or an in-ring segment, but via a graphic.

I dunno, I usually love Dyno but I thought the storytelling left a lot to be desired this week. Hopefully it was just a one-off.

It wasn't all bad. I'm loving WINDSAAA (and had no idea she was in a relationship with Will Ospreay - lucky get!) and Jon Moxley has completely turned his year around, from being the worst thing in AEW not named Chris Jericho to maybe the best TV wrestler in the entire company at the moment. 

[LaGoosh]

Just now, Lorne Malvo said:

Likewise, Christian Cage being completely unrepentant for his actions during his never-ending promo two weeks ago to making the save for Cope this week, to their big reunion being confirmed in a graphic later in the show. It seems like I've missed a beat of the story somewhere.

Totally agree with this while also being kinda ok with it. Yeah it's definitely rushed but to be honest I'm pleased they've just decided not to drag it out and get to the bit everyone wants. Especially after Christian's awful promo the other week.

[HarmonicGenerator]

11 hours ago, Statto said:

Yeah, this was my fear during the segment - it's the "they're not dead unless you see them dead on screen" principle.

I'm now terrified Hanger wins at Forbidden Door, but then MVP saunters out and reveals it's all been a big ruse on behalf of the "young genius", the Hurt Syndicate come out and beat Hangman down while MJF signs the Money in the Clipboard contract we only thought he'd already used.

Hangman wouldn’t be that stupid, would he? After all this he’d have to get some assurance that this match is the contract one.

Very happy about the two matches we’ve got for Glasgow so far. FTR-Brodido and Toni/WINDSAAAA-Athena/Mone should both be great. A Moxley/Ospreay chat could be good too.

[RedTwoster]

18 minutes ago, HarmonicGenerator said:

Hangman wouldn’t be that stupid, would he? After all this he’d have to get some assurance that this match is the contract one.

Very happy about the two matches we’ve got for Glasgow so far. FTR-Brodido and Toni/WINDSAAAA-Athena/Mone should both be great. A Moxley/Ospreay chat could be good too.

Selfishly, I wish they’d half-arsed the line-up. I massively regret not going to this. 

[tiger_rick]

53 minutes ago, RedTwoster said:

Not really much to do with anything, but it’s so much fun being able to come on in this thread and talk about wrestling in a positive way, when pretty much everyone is enjoying what AEW are doing right now. I find myself buzzing for every AEW show - even Collision, which is often my favourite show of the week. 

AEW has had a fantastic 2025, and the biggest complement I can pay them is that I’m really excited for Forbidden Door this year, which is usually the PPV I feel least bothered about. 

Great post. I really feel like this too. It's not perfect, it never has been. But even though there are holes you can pick all over the place, I like that and, crucially, I think picking the holes is almost always from the POV of "This is the way I would have done it instead" rather than "This is utter shit that ruins this product" which some of their stuff a couple of years ago did feel like to me.

[tiger_rick]

Went looking for some graphics for next week's Dynamite (not up yet) and came across this. It does irk me that the Bucks are the only ones telling this incredibly simple story to explain all these money matches on TV.

[Kamran]

On 8/12/2025 at 2:38 PM, KoTC5 said:

Does anyone have the promo code for this? I’ve went onto the site but it’s asking for a promo code as the tickets are locked behind it. Thank you 

The email does say no code needed, when you click this link does it say the 25% off when you're looking at the prices?

 

I just tested it and it allows me to proceed to the checkout page without entering any code:

 

 

 

[Hannibal Scorch]

On 8/15/2025 at 10:35 AM, tiger_rick said:

Went looking for some graphics for next week's Dynamite (not up yet) and came across this. It does irk me that the Bucks are the only ones telling this incredibly simple story to explain all these money matches on TV.

It’s been mentioned during each match on commentary as well. But I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have more too.

[The King Of Swing]

Enjoyed that episode more than last weeks. 

Glad they are already getting the MITB knock offs, out of the way. 

[HarmonicGenerator]

On 8/15/2025 at 9:12 AM, RedTwoster said:

Selfishly, I wish they’d half-arsed the line-up. I massively regret not going to this. 

Having had the email today with the show times for Wednesday, and checked the last train times against the show end time … I’m with you, at least at far as the second half of Collision is concerned. If they can do me a Paragon vs Infantry vs Premier Athletes Iron Man match for the last hour of the tapings so we don’t miss anything by leaving early to get to the station, that would be great, cheers Tony.

Or, y’know, just have the shows finish at 10.30, that’d be fine too.