Awards Moderator HarmonicGenerator Posted January 1 Awards Moderator Posted January 1 Episode overall was fine, can only add to those pointing out how stupid the Continental Title thing is. I know there’s a pride element to entering the CC and winning it, but if you’re not a front runner going in, you’re an idiot for not just waiting until now and getting the title anyway. I thought Willow vs Mercedes was absolutely excellent, both women at the top of their games, was thrilled Willow won and excited to see where Mercedes goes on her continuing breakdown. Quote
Infinity Land Posted January 1 Posted January 1 C2: 11 non-champions enter. It's a month of guaranteed tv. There's no champion's advantage. Someone can go 3W & 2L and make a PPV appearance. Win it and win the title. If they lose but get a win over the eventual champion it can be a reason to challenge for the title. Last year Okada only defended the Continental Title 8 times with 9 challengers before the C2 started. If somebody wants to skip an opportunity with the C2 to get a title shot another time they'll be waiting a while. Alexander never had a title shot, failed at the first hurdle to get one, and Moxley's already moved on to the next person. Besides the recent World title run where Moxley hoarded the belt. He's probably been the champion with the most defences and eliminators. It's not a surprise the concept has returned so prominently now he's back to being a champion. He even brought the concept to the IWGP World Title as NJPW is a bit more stringent over formal title defences. Quote
RedTwoster Posted January 1 Posted January 1 5 hours ago, Infinity Land said: Last year Okada only defended the Continental Title 8 times with 9 challengers before the C2 started. If somebody wants to skip an opportunity with the C2 to get a title shot another time they'll be waiting a while. Alexander never had a title shot, failed at the first hurdle to get one, and Moxley's already moved on to the next person. That’s almost one challenger per-month, when you consider when the CC starts and finishes. I don’t think it merits an ‘only’. 5 hours ago, Infinity Land said: C2: 11 non-champions enter. It's a month of guaranteed tv. Guaranteed TV? Why should that matter for the participants? Out of those who took part this year, I don’t think any of them were scrapping for TV time. The CC is an excellent format, with an underwhelming prize. Then again, every men’s singles title outside of the World title is an underwhelming prize in AEW, in my opinion. Quote
The King of Old School Posted January 2 Posted January 2 Swerve and Hangman doing double team moves now, get in the bin. Quote
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted January 2 Paid Members Posted January 2 I just... dunno. Had a hard time keeping up and catching up over Christmas in time for a PPV with the TV schedule all over the place. The best thing I can say in support of AEW is that I did try. So I was interested. I've only seen about 50% of their last few weeks prior to Wednesday's Dynamite. Now somewhat caught up and I just don't know how much I like anything that's going on at the moment. Would LOVE to be more into Willow's big win but it just didn't have any momentum. I'm in favour of spicing up the last/first show of the year (depending on whether the ball had dropped in your region) and rewarding fans for turning out but it just didn't have anything behind it. Nice moment though. The world title situation is a mess. Would never have put it on Joe. Wouldn't have it on MJF. None of it feels big. None of it feels like the right direction. Nice that Kenny and Darby and whoever else are calling their shot because the title should mean something to everyone but, they've cooled the belt, the champ and the challengers and it's all Meh. Deathriders against the World. Look forward to the N64 game. Nice slogan but, a neverending story. Everything they've appeared to build for the last year has just come and gone and now we're at a point where Mox is back on top and Darby Allin wants to beat Pac. It just questions the point of ever getting invested in the rest. Who feels like they have any momentum at the moment? Willow does, now. That's joyous. But, who else? I can't think of a single other person who has anything going on that feels like something you have to see. Not even Hangman, Swerve or Mark Briscoe. Not even Kenny after that promo. Not Toni, Eddie, Darby, the Bucks, Jurrassic Express. Absolutely not the Women's Champion. They have some serious work to do. As a standalone show, Dynamite was fine. Solid matches, bit of humour in the promos, big babyface victory, nice celebration. All fine. Big picture is flat as fuck though. Quote
DavidB6937 Posted January 2 Posted January 2 That's often where I'll struggle with AEW. We know they're capable of good, cohesive big picture storylines sometimes - obviously Hangman, even MJF at one point - but it does quite often dip into 'indie with more money' mode in terms of great matches all over the place but lacking decent booking bringing it all together. That's not a slight as such. It's arguably exactly what it should be as an alternative to WWE, and obviously with fanboy TK at the helm of course his booking tendencies are going to lean more towards that style of show. I think it can just be frustrating sometimes because they've shown what they can do beyond that, and quite often it's better than anything else out there! Quote
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted January 2 Author Paid Members Posted January 2 (edited) 23 hours ago, RedTwoster said: Statlander isn’t clicking as World Champion for me, despite the best efforts of AEW to make her feel important. It's because her character or lack of one is a mess. Is she a straight laced babyface Champion? Because her wooden cadence better suits a heel. She's a fun kooky funny weirdo when she wants to be but she never fully commits to it. What exactly is a Cosmic Killer? Is she still an alien? She's not one thing therefore she's not really anything. Well she's an excellent wrestler I suppose but she needs more to be a good Champion. Decent enough Dynamite with the usual flaws and a depressingly ice cold main event scene. What exactly is the meaning of Triple B? I think I missed or zoned out of whatever boring MJF promo where it was explained. I hate it whatever it is. I think the second half of AEWs 2025 can be summed up as giving me loads of stuff I want to see but in a way that none of it was anywhere as good as it really should have been. Tony Khan was really smart to put together such an incredible roster who can cover for his booking flaws. The guy obviously can book some great stuff but it really feels like he needs a right hand person to hold it all together. Edited January 2 by LaGoosh Quote
RedTwoster Posted January 2 Posted January 2 33 minutes ago, LaGoosh said: What exactly is the meaning of Triple B? I think I missed or zoned out of whatever boring MJF promo where it was explained. I hate it whatever it is. I can’t remember exactly what the first ‘B’ is, but it’s either ‘Big Burberry Belt’ or ‘Beautiful Burberry Belt’. 33 minutes ago, LaGoosh said: Tony Khan was really smart to put together such an incredible roster who can cover for his booking flaws. The guy obviously can book some great stuff but it really feels like he needs a right hand person to hold it all together. I suspect he already has a very capable team in place, but places more faith in his own instincts than he probably should - many of the biggest issues with AEW’s booking have existed throughout its life and I can’t help but assume that Khan is the reason. Maybe he could do with a head writer who sets the overall direction, and isn’t afraid to tell him ‘no’ when he suggests introducing a new title, doing a lights off/lights on reveal or having Darby wrestle yet another Death Rider. 34 minutes ago, LaGoosh said: It's because her character or lack of one is a mess. Is she a strait laced babyface Champion? Because her wooden cadence better suits a heel. She's a fun kooky funny weirdo when she wants to be but she never fully commits to it. What exactly is a Cosmic Killer? Is she still an alien? She's not one thing therefore she's not really anything. Well she's an excellent wrestler I suppose but she needs more to be a good Champion. They missed a trick by not making her a Death Rider. She was a very strong heel character, and if she were to take the title off Toni Storm as a heel with a wormy Wheeler Yuta by her side, you’d have a red hot champion that people would want to see lose. Quote
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted January 2 Author Paid Members Posted January 2 40 minutes ago, RedTwoster said: Maybe he could do with a head writer who sets the overall direction I think he tried that with Jimmy Jacobs who ran creative while Khan was busy sorting out the new TV deal. Unfortunately that was also one of the shittest periods of AEW TV ever and as soon as the new deal was sorted Jacobs left/was told to piss off and Khan took over TV and it almost immediately got good again. So it's probably just confirmed to him in his own mind that he's the right person to run creative and comments he's made suggest he doesn't want too many other voices in the room. Quote
Paid Members Supremo Posted January 2 Paid Members Posted January 2 The way they’ve erased the last two years and we’re back with MJF as World Champion, with a web of challengers, even including a weird non-canon Kenny Omega Title Defence on the horizon, it’s enough to think Jimmy Jacobs is back. Quote
Paid Members Kamran Posted January 3 Paid Members Posted January 3 Coming up on Collision tonight: Quote
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted January 3 Author Paid Members Posted January 3 Looks like an incredibly low effort card with little to care about at all but intrigued to see what El Clon is like. The mask looks like he's wearing sunglasses. Quote
The King Of Swing Posted January 3 Posted January 3 Other than MJF immediately resorting to his worn out "get in line for a title shot" bollocks, I mostly really enjoyed Dynamite. Fuck it. I'm all in on Hangman and Swerve battering people. Send Thekla packing to ROH. Thought she would be a good fit in AEW but she's been dogshit. Quote
Infinity Land Posted January 3 Posted January 3 17 minutes ago, LaGoosh said: Looks like an incredibly low effort card with little to care about at all but intrigued to see what El Clon is like. The mask looks like he's wearing sunglasses. It's a return to the Arlington esports arena for a Collision residency most of this month. Not too surprised to see it take a backseat. Quote
Paid Members Supremo Posted January 3 Paid Members Posted January 3 On 1/2/2026 at 7:48 AM, The King of Old School said: Swerve and Hangman doing double team moves now, get in the bin. I thought this was the highlight of a pretty depressing segment. If we must suffer through another MJF Title reign (maybe he’s got a massive movie on the horizon and they want him holding the belt for all the press?), then my new hope is they move Hangman and Swerve into the Tag ranks and use their chemistry to elevate that division. The Mogul Cowboys vs. FTR, The Young Bucks, Cope & Christian, Jurassic Express or Brodido? Belter. Quote
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