AEW TV 2025 Discussion

[DavidB6937]

5 minutes ago, Carbomb said:

I haven't been watching AEW or any wrestling properly recently, so I'll take your word for it. It was just that some on here have said she's quite limited in-ring, which, from what I understand, could be a bit of a problem with the AEW product.

I think the limitations in-ring for any performer in any organisation are manageable with the right booking. Not every champion needs to be a Danielson workhorse type. And I think there's enough depth and variety in the AEW roster that (1) not every champ needs to be the best wrestler in the world and (2) there's enough decent opponents to cover up for the champ's weaknesses.

Plus I like the idea of them going from someone like Mercedes who (in my opinion) is very weak character-wise and on the mic but a killer in the ring to basically the opposite in Harley. She's someone they can give segments to, media etc and someone who people would talk about, far beyond just having good matches all the time. Plus it's not like she's Maxxine from Alpha Academy or something.

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

10 minutes ago, Carbomb said:

I haven't been watching AEW or any wrestling properly recently

Don't worry Bombers, it's often the people who don't watch who have the strongest opinion on here. 

My 2 penneth for what it's worth. Mone has been treated like an elite level star since she came in. They have to use her to give the rub to other people they have. Harley Cameron along with Willow are the two most talented women they have right now outside of Mone/Storm/May and they should both be next in line to get pushed to that top level. Mone should be doing that for Harley right now. 

[Carbomb]

3 minutes ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said:

Don't worry Bombers, it's often the people who don't watch who have the strongest opinion on here. 

In my defence, I was just talking about Goldberg.

I'm broadly in agreement that wrestling can be anything you make it, within reason; I just think Goldberg's not the best example to prove that, because of how specific his situation and abilities were at the time, and how much they turned the rules on their head.

[RedTwoster]

3 minutes ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said:

My 2 penneth for what it's worth. Mone has been treated like an elite level star since she came in. They have to use her to give the rub to other people they have. Harley Cameron along with Willow are the two most talented women they have right now outside of Mone/Storm/May and they should both be next in line to get pushed to that top level. Mone should be doing that for Harley right now. 

It’s obviously all subjective but Statlander has been killing it recently, she definitely deserves a mention when it comes to the most talented AEW women. Then you have Athena waiting in the wings, Shida, Hayter, Riho, Nyla Rose, Billie Starkz and Deonna - there are others too, it’s a great division.

They absolutely could have put the title on Harley, but it’s a great roster with plenty of good options of who could end Mone’s title run.

Athena, in particular, often gets forgotten about, but I can’t wait until she’s back on the main roster. 

[DavidB6937]

Good to see Willow mentioned as she's been an option for longer than Harley has but for some reason always forgotten about.

[LaGoosh]

1 hour ago, The King Of Swing said:

BUT CAN THEY COEXIST??? 

It'd be the only time in wrestling history that story would actually be interesting!

[tiger_rick]

4 minutes ago, Carbomb said:

I'm broadly in agreement that wrestling can be anything you make it, within reason; I just think Goldberg's not the best example to prove that, because of how specific his situation and abilities were at the time, and how much they turned the rules on their head.

There were established schools of thought, the sort that probably cost Lex Luger a big run in the 80s when he was killing it. But by 1998, we were well into the generation of guys post territories who had to be created from scratch because the talent pool was limited outside of the WWF and WCW when it came to genuine stars. There were plenty of talented wrestlers, and WCW particularly signed and did well with Malenko, Guerrero, Mysterio, Psichosis, Raven, etc. But not many coming through who were going to be superstars. Goldberg was the first real homemade main event guy post territories all dying - maybe with the exception of Luger. The WWF had made stars of WCW low-card acts in Taker and Diesel which was about the closest comparison. After Goldberg, The Rock would go on to be a big deal very quickly, Kurt Angle was a world champ within a year of his TV debut, Randy Orton and John Cena were stars a year or two after debuting from the development programmes. 

That's where we're at now. Some talent does still come through the indies, through Japan or Mexico and has a level of experience but lots of people come from development or from being found doing something else. Jade Cargill, who Scorcher mentioned is a good comparison to Harley. Logan Paul is too. I've never seen much of him but what I've read and the clips I've seen, he looks pretty great and he's only had about 5 matches hasn't he? That wouldn't and shouldn't have been barrier to him being the US Champ or a World Champ when he's got the amount of buzz that he brings and is competent enough in the ring.

Anyway, I might have dragged this away from AEW discussion. Apologies.

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

30 minutes ago, RedTwoster said:

Statlander

I like her but I would say she is just a rung down from Harley/Willow at the minute. That could be sorted out in no time but given how the women are usually booked I hold out no hope. 

30 minutes ago, RedTwoster said:

Athena, in particular, often gets forgotten about,

ROH4Life brother. She's either going to be ROH champ or nowhere in AEW. If they thought anything of her she'd already be on the main roster. 

[RedTwoster]

26 minutes ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said:

ROH4Life brother. She's either going to be ROH champ or nowhere in AEW. If they thought anything of her she'd already be on the main roster.

Dunno if I agree with you there - Khan appears to value ROH more than most, and he’s had Athena headline their PPVs. I think they stumbled into her record-breaking title reign without any real idea of how to get out of it (even though they had an obvious one with Starkz) - I reckon she’ll get a push when she’s back on the main roster, and she definitely has the potential to be a featured wrestler in that division. I think Khan rates her, but whether it’s to the degree she merits in the context of being featured in AEW, time will tell.

Edited February 26, 2025 by RedTwoster

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

17 minutes ago, RedTwoster said:

Khan appears to value ROH more than most, and he’s had Athena headline their PPVs

Valuing ROH more than most is a low bar TwosterBooster and headlining ROH PPVs is the equivalent of been "Good in Japan" 

[Hannibal Scorch]

2 hours ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said:

Valuing ROH more than most is a low bar TwosterBooster and headlining ROH PPVs is the equivalent of been "Good in Japan" 

I disagree. I think she’s had the run she has because Tony was hopeful of getting a TV deal and she was part of that plan, same reason Jericho keeps asking to win the belt (because he thinks they will get one because of him, the dolt). I think the plan is probably Athena vs Mone at All In Texas with Athena going over.

[RedTwoster]

2 hours ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said:

Valuing ROH more than most is a low bar TwosterBooster and headlining ROH PPVs is the equivalent of been "Good in Japan" 

Nah, not at all - she’s had some objectively brilliant matches in ROH. It’s definitely not the equivalent of being ‘good in Japan’, her matches have been great by any standard.

[Infinity Land]

With Athena I would imagine there's a bit of both to it. When this run ends it's probably never going to be the same elsewhere. 

Certainly not in AEW when you can look at the way Hayter, Statlander, Willow, Thunder Rosa are lost in the shuffle right now. Shida's on youtube streaming. Britt Baker's been benched. Deonna and Taya are looking for more bookings outside the company. Tay Melo returned at the beginning of the year...in Japan. Speaking of which remember when Anna Jay was flavour of the month after a Stardom tour?

[Merzbow]

All this talk of who should beat Mone and no Jamie Hayter? The women's division is definitely a highlight but they've done her dirty since she came back from injury, she was prime to be the top babyface.

[JLM]

Man I wish "good in Japan" had never become a thing. It was funny and applicable to like three guys ever but it just won't go away.

That plan for Athena does make some sense with it being in Texas, but I don't like that Athena would be coming back to AEW as a babyface in that scenario. She is such an amazing heel and it as been the catalyst for and driving force behind her amazing turn around as a performer. If they did do that I'd want a heel turn pronto.