AEW TV 2025 Discussion

[Chris B]

Just now, RedTwoster said:

There’s a toxic relationship, and then there’s being accused of rape.

Saying you want to leave a relationship because the sex life isn't what you want isn't rape. 

Priscilla Kelly talked about her and Darby being into fetish clubs and the like. Clearly, it's something that's important to him. Leaving and meeting someone who is into the things you're into seems like an entirely fair thing for someone to do. 

On a really basic level, her statement is as ambiguous and has really little context.  It *could* be a case of coercive control (and that's something I don't say lightly). But it could also be 'This isn't working for me, because I have needs and interests that we're not exploring'. What she's describing is 100% a bad relationship. But that doesn't mean he's abusive. It might. But it might not.

There are red flags around Darby, for sure - he's clearly been a dickhead in the past, including around women. I don't particularly like him, to be honest - which I'm mentioning because I don't have a particular reason to defend him. I just genuinely think this is a 'more information needed' situation rather than a 'this is what happened' situation.

[Lorne Malvo]

Just watched Collision. Laughed my head off when Hologram's evil twin brother flashed up on screen. The exact sort of stupid thing I want from my pro wrestling. Hope he comes out looking exactly the same as Hologram but twirling a moustache. 

Decent show otherwise, but just lacked any real sizzle after a fantastic Dynamite.

Edited September 3, 2025 by Lorne Malvo

[Merzbow]

I hope the gimmick that he's AI generated, he's the same but just a little off like he has 4 fucked up fingers and no nose, and a manager with a laptop that asks Chat GPT for the best moves to use but it always chooses something wrong.

[Tim Healys Chutney Spoon]

12 hours ago, Merzbow said:

I hope the gimmick that he's AI generated, he's the same but just a little off like he has 4 fucked up fingers and no nose, and a manager with a laptop that asks Chat GPT for the best moves to use but it always chooses something wrong.

Don't give TK ideas 

Mark Sterling or someone at ringside 'Can I have your attention please? I've just had an ChatGPT message telling Hologram 2.0 to do a reverse Swanton onto his opponent from the 2nd rope onto the outside via the top turnbuckle' 

 

 

[Supremo]

Grabbed a pair of Dynamite tickets for Manchester this morning. Didn’t realise the pre-sales had already started. Very excited.

Nothing quite like watching the cheapest tickets (£31.50) jump up to £46 in front of your very eyes. Ticketmaster for heel of the year.

[HarmonicGenerator]

3 hours ago, Supremo said:

Grabbed a pair of Dynamite tickets for Manchester this morning. Didn’t realise the pre-sales had already started. Very excited.

Nothing quite like watching the cheapest tickets (£31.50) jump up to £46 in front of your very eyes. Ticketmaster for heel of the year.

Same, got a couple of £55 (+10 for fees) in Block 110 - view looks like it will be okay but I’m half-convinced for that price they’ll build a pillar right in front of them. Block 108 was coming in at £297 each!

Dynamite was good. Mone-Windsor was great, Hangman and Omega were a little bit of magic, Toni appeared for a bit, we appear to be heading to Takeshita vs Okada. Happy they seem to have gone back to “Adam Copeland” and are letting “Cope” disappear into the big bag of not very good ideas.

Edited September 4, 2025 by HarmonicGenerator

[ReturnOfTheMack]

Darby using a rag to, presumably, chloroform people seems... questionable in this day and age of wrestling. ? 

 

Not a bad Dynamite. Hooks new theme is growing on me as a track, but not as intro music. 

[RedTwoster]

I liked Dynamite, but I also hate the Darby/Death Riders feud. The things Darby is doing feel like stunts as opposed to acts someone might do in anger (or in general) and usually cross the line into the ridiculous. Darby needs to reign it back a lot. 

Who the heck was the guy who confronted FTR? I feel like I’ve missed or forgotten something here.

Stokely was excellent again though - I initially thought that pairing him with FTR was a huge mistake, but he’s had a remarkable transformation since becoming their manager. I suspect he’ll win Best Non-wrestler at the UKFF Awards this year, and it’ll be deserved. 

Mercedes/Windsor was great, and I’m going to make the pitch now - Toni Storm is amazing, but this year I think Mercedes should win best women’s wrestler at the UKFF Awards. I’m not sure she’s had an average match this year, let alone a bad one. She’s one of the best wrestlers in the world of any gender. Toni had the recognition she deserved last year, this year it should be Mercedes’ turn. If she’s wrestling, you know you’re in for a banger. 

Hook’s new theme song has grown on me, and his run in with The Opps was interesting. Hook may be a work in progress, but I think he’s worth persisting with. His mic work is improving, his ring work is solid enough (and will surely improve) and he has a very unique look.

Okada is pretty decent on the mic, but the ‘bitch’ gimmick feels a bit forced now and I’m a bit fed up of it. He’s actually one of the weakest top level AEW wrestlers in ring though, and I really wouldn’t care if he left the company. There are better options with the company to push at that level. 

Brodido continue to shine, and I hope they both get singles pushes on AEW TV when their tag title run is over. Bandido is one of the best in ring workers in the world right now - he’s just incredible to watch. 

Was that a write-off for Omega?! It would be such a shame if he was unable to wrestle in Canada. After losing Ospreay and Swerve, it would be an enormous shame for him to be gone also. I’d been hoping for Hangman/Omega at All Out, but perhaps we’re about to get Hangman/Fletcher?

[DavidB6937]

8 minutes ago, RedTwoster said:

Mercedes/Windsor was great, and I’m going to make the pitch now - Toni Storm is amazing, but this year I think Mercedes should win best women’s wrestler at the UKFF Awards. I’m not sure she’s had an average match this year, let alone a bad one. She’s one of the best wrestlers in the world of any gender. Toni had the recognition she deserved last year, this year it should be Mercedes’ turn. If she’s wrestling, you know you’re in for a banger. 

I can absolutely understand this argument and the only thing for me that Toni has going for her is that I care far more about what she's doing. Is Mercedes a great wrestler? Absolutely, but you could argue that she always was in WWE as well. I still really struggle to get invested in her as a character, while Toni is up there with Hangman as THE character in AEW, but also able to put on fantastic matches too.

It's wrestling so it'll always come down to what you want out of it. I just find Mercedes a more shallow act overall. But then I never thought I'd be as invested in Toni Storm, so maybe Mercedes will find that other gear at some point. I just haven't seen it yet.

[RedTwoster]

2 minutes ago, DavidB6937 said:

I can absolutely understand this argument and the only thing for me that Toni has going for her is that I care far more about what she's doing. Is Mercedes a great wrestler? Absolutely, but you could argue that she always was in WWE as well. I still really struggle to get invested in her as a character, while Toni is up there with Hangman as THE character in AEW, but also able to put on fantastic matches too.

It's wrestling so it'll always come down to what you want out of it. I just find Mercedes a more shallow act overall. But then I never thought I'd be as invested in Toni Storm, so maybe Mercedes will find that other gear at some point. I just haven't seen it yet.

You’re right. It’s not that I’m not invested in Toni Storm, or that I think she’s undeserving of the award - obviously she’d be a worthy winner - I’d just like to see Mercedes get her due for her amazing work, and the role she’s played in elevating AEW’s women’s division. 

Toni is a bigger character, and the awards often favour the biggest character - an example I’d give would be Prince Nana winning last year over RJ City and Renee Paquette - but sometimes it’s nice to see someone’s outstanding work get recognised, especially if their main rival for the prize is someone who has already won it. 

[HarmonicGenerator]

39 minutes ago, RedTwoster said:

 Who the heck was the guy who confronted FTR? I feel like I’ve missed or forgotten something here.

I think he tagged with JD Drake against them on Collision last week. I can’t remember his name. He’s probably a huge deal in ROH and we’re meant to know him already.

[LaGoosh]

54 minutes ago, DavidB6937 said:

I just find Mercedes a more shallow act overall.

To me the shallowness has always been a key part of the act. In a promotion like AEW that is built on heart and passion she's just completely vapid, empty and materialistic. It's one of the things I like about her! When she's against characters like Toni Storm and Willow Nightingale who are all heart and passion it makes them look like so much more. But can appreciate it's not everyone's cup of tea.

[DavidB6937]

46 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

To me the shallowness has always been a key part of the act. In a promotion like AEW that is built on heart and passion she's just completely vapid, empty and materialistic. It's one of the things I like about her! When she's against characters like Toni Storm and Willow Nightingale who are all heart and passion it makes them look like so much more. But can appreciate it's not everyone's cup of tea.

It's definitely something that works in that context. I think the only issue I have is that I find her pretty much the same whether a face or heel. I guess she's not really had a strong face run in a while, so it'd be interesting to see how that plays out, but on the whole I just remember her being the same and I couldn't buy into it. I'm definitely interested to see how she progresses as a character in the future in AEW.

[Tim Healys Chutney Spoon]

1 hour ago, HarmonicGenerator said:

I think he tagged with JD Drake against them on Collision last week. I can’t remember his name. He’s probably a huge deal in ROH and we’re meant to know him already.

Adam Priest is his name.

[BomberPat]

Adam Priest is brilliant, a real stand-out on the few US indie shows I've watched recently. Part of me thinks that they could have done a better job of explaining who he is - even FTR or Stoke addressing him by name in their promo wouldn't have hurt - but actually, the point of the angle is him emerging from the relative anonymity of the mass of people trying to keep FTR and C&C apart, and them having a video package or something ready to go would have killed that angle. I was fully expecting that, seconds after FTR issuing the challenge for him to find himself a tag partner, we'd get a "TONY KHAN'S MADE IT OFFICIAL" and a match graphic ready to go for Saturday. Plenty of time to give him a bit of background on Collision, and I think it will be a misstep if they don't. I don't know who makes sense to go with as his tag partner, and while I don't think FTR should be losing any time soon, them being driven crazy because they lose to this "nobody" after a distraction from C&C wouldn't be the worst finish in the world. I mostly know Priest as a very good old-fashioned heel, though, so I'm expecting this to all be a bait and switch and end up with him siding with FTR at All Out.

I thought this was a really good show in isolation, but one that suffers a little in broader context. The big Death Riders brawl at the start of the show had really good energy, but how many times have we seen Death Riders vs. Assorted Babyfaces now? If I'm being optimistic, I would say this one was structured in such a way as to show that the babyfaces have the Death Riders' number now, that they're working together and aren't prepared to let the Death Riders hijack the show, which is the direction things should be moving in, and I'm holding out hope that All Out marks the end of the Death Riders as the dominant heel faction and moves towards them breaking up and falling apart. I'm glad that they remembered there's a storyline between Hook and The Opps, though at this point I'm not particularly interested in whatever the outcome will be to that. 

Sticking with that opening brawl, I don't want to see babyfaces using chloroform rags, it's stupid. And while I don't want to go back to Attitude Era levels of constant replays of what happened earlier, and commentators talking about main event angles over every midcard match, there's a middle ground between that and where we are now. If Steve Austin had done to someone what Darby Allin did to Gabe Kidd, shoving him in a bodybag and chaining him to a moving car, we'd get replays of that angle throughout the show, and people would keep talking about it. It definitely makes these mad stunts feel less worth the risk if they're just done and you're allowed to forget about them by the next ad break. Though if I'm to put a positive spin on that, I suppose the viewing culture has changed and what used to be covered by constant replays through the show can now be picked up by hoping the clip goes viral on social media.

To make another Death Riders point, I don't like that they had the Don Callis Family give Kenny Omega neck injury. We've seen Will Ospreay written out with a neck injury at the hand of the Death Riders, and Samoa Joe before that. Aside from repeating that spot too early, it downplays the specific cruelty of the Death Riders when another heel faction is doing the same thing. And if the idea is to write out Kenny Omega for a while, or to give him some vulnerability, he doesn't need it - he's a wrestler who nobody would begrudge being part-time, and who everyone knows has an existing vulnerability. If it was about just getting heat on the Family, then target his midsection again, it doesn't need to be a neck injury in this instance. And particularly not on the same show that FTR are spike piledriving people - the same move they used to write out Adam Copeland with yet another neck injury.

Interesting that it looks like MVP will be wrestling at All Out. It won't do much for the discourse and rumours around the Hurt Syndicate if even their semi-retired manager doesn't end up taking a clean loss.

Good to see Riho back. I assumed we were getting a time limit finish for Mercedes and Windsor to set up a rematch, and to keep the story going that Windsor might just have Moné's number, and it hadn't even occurred to me that somebody else would make the save, especially not her. It's a fresh match, and she's a great babyface to work with a heel as good as Mercedes - and a rare match where Mercedes will be the bigger, more powerful wrestler, and I'm fascinated to see what that looks like.