AEW TV 2025 Discussion

[RedTwoster]

1 hour ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHcTH9_JG_H/?igsh=bmVmeGRiOXd3ZGl1

I worry for the health of all their wrestlers who will see this and go 'oh, that's how we cut through?'.

I think AEW hardcore matches will involve a lot of me watching through my fingers in future.

Yeah, I tend to avoid them. Swerve/Hangman was far too much for my tastes, and it sounds like Cope/Moxley would have also turned my stomach.

It’s a shame too, because it probably puts more people off watching than it does attract, and they’re putting on some of their best shows in years. 

10 hours ago, Kamran said:

MJF - Bringing backup next week...another new faction? Is Wardlow coming back?

 

I really hope not. The Hangman feud finally seemed to pull him out of the doldrums he was in after his most recent heel turn, and the last thing he needs is to retread old territory. I really like the idea of him pairing up with MVP, and I hope they just take that direction.

[LaGoosh]

37 minutes ago, RedTwoster said:

It’s a shame too, because it probably puts more people off watching than it does attract

I really don't think it makes a difference either way in the long term. The "concern trolls" are never going to watch it anyway (of if they do it won't be in good faith) and the real fans like yourself who don't like it will just skip over it and watch the stuff they do like. In the short term it probably attracts people (the extreme hardcore stuff and the flippy spotty stuff people claim the "casuals" hate is actually the stuff that usually resonates with them) but is unlikely to get them to stick around.

[DavidB6937]

35 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

I really don't think it makes a difference either way in the long term. The "concern trolls" are never going to watch it anyway (of if they do it won't be in good faith) and the real fans like yourself who don't like it will just skip over it and watch the stuff they do like. In the short term it probably attracts people (the extreme hardcore stuff and the flippy spotty stuff people claim the "casuals" hate is actually the stuff that usually resonates with them) but is unlikely to get them to stick around.

This is probably right. In fact most of the stuff we end up discussing on here, and a whole bunch of shit that gets pulled apart on social media, absolutely has no impact whatsoever - positive or negative - on general viewership.

[westlondonmist]

3 hours ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHcTH9_JG_H/?igsh=bmVmeGRiOXd3ZGl1

I worry for the health of all their wrestlers who will see this and go 'oh, that's how we cut through?'.

I think AEW hardcore matches will involve a lot of me watching through my fingers in future.

That's fucking disgusting. Worse than the spot at Wembley in 2023. My honest opinion is that if you need nails going into your back to get over being hurt, then you're probably not a very good wrestler. 

[RedTwoster]

26 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

I really don't think it makes a difference either way in the long term. The "concern trolls" are never going to watch it anyway (of if they do it won't be in good faith) and the real fans like yourself who don't like it will just skip over it and watch the stuff they do like. In the short term it probably attracts people (the extreme hardcore stuff and the flippy spotty stuff people claim the "casuals" hate is actually the stuff that usually resonates with them) but is unlikely to get them to stick around.

I dunno, I’d point to the way some of the gorier stuff circulates on social media - including some of the bad faith takes. It creates the idea that AEW is something that it actually isn’t for the most part - that being a blood and guts promotion. 

Even if it has no real impact either way, it overshadows stuff that I think would make a difference. Take, for example, Toni Storm’s comedy masterclass on commentary - a compilation of her best bits from Wednesday’s show circulating instead of the nails clip is the kind of thing I do think would get people to tune in, or at the very least seek out more Toni Storm stuff. 

There’s so much good going on in the company right now, and if that was the predominant narrative online I think the company would notice a big upswing. I generally enjoy WWE, but in 2025 AEW has been, by far and away the more entertaining watch - and not in a ‘niche product’ way. 

[LaGoosh]

Just now, RedTwoster said:

There’s so much good going on in the company right now, and if that was the predominant narrative online I think the company would notice a big upswing.

Worth noting that the company does seem to be in an upswing. Ratings for Dynamite and Collision have been slowly and steadily growing each week (and that doesn't even take into account Max numbers) and Revolution was their biggest PPV attendance and buyrate wise in ages. It's good to see the effort they are putting in to maintain consistently entertaining and logical weekly TV seems to be working.

[RedTwoster]

Just now, LaGoosh said:

Worth noting that the company does seem to be in an upswing. Ratings for Dynamite and Collision have been slowly and steadily growing each week (and that doesn't even take into account Max numbers) and Revolution was their biggest PPV attendance and buyrate wise in ages. It's good to see the effort they are putting in to maintain consistently entertaining and logical weekly TV seems to be working.

Yeah, maybe it’s a case of me expecting too much too soon. Consistency should, you’d hope, ultimately pay dividends. 

[Hannibal Scorch]

To that point, and not to get into ratings chat, the two quater hours with Mox vs Cope actually saw an increase past 730k so regardless of our thoughts, it clearly got people watching.

[Tim Healys Chutney Spoon]

4 hours ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHcTH9_JG_H/?igsh=bmVmeGRiOXd3ZGl1

I worry for the health of all their wrestlers who will see this and go 'oh, that's how we cut through?'.

I think AEW hardcore matches will involve a lot of me watching through my fingers in future.

I thought the spikes in the head at All In was bad enough...

[Chili]

Well it took longer than I expected, but Helen Lovejoy did pop in here eventually.

My personal favourite take I saw elsewhere was that AEW should actually be taken off TV for being too violent.

[Chris B]

2 hours ago, RedTwoster said:

There’s so much good going on in the company right now, and if that was the predominant narrative online I think the company would notice a big upswing. I generally enjoy WWE, but in 2025 AEW has been, by far and away the more entertaining watch - and not in a ‘niche product’ way. 

It doesn't matter how good an episode is. The predominant online narrative will be negative. Unless *nothing* goes wrong in an episode, the narrative will be the botch or the promo that didn't land, or the wrong person in a spot or too lewd or too violent or too ex-WWE or not WWE enough, or the crowds or...

[Supremo]

Excellent episode of Dynamite.

Tremendous, action-packed opener. All four lads looked fantastic. Still blows my mind in these scenarios where it’s Ricochet’s character work that stands out the most. He’s such a hoot. That thing when he’s getting the heat and he starts shouting, “I’M WINNING!” is such great dickheadery.

I like Mike Bailey. It’s like if RVD had a younger, smaller, dorkier brother. Great fun to watch. The three-way at the pay per view should be wild. Wonder if they’re doing it on purpose at this point. They completely overshadowed Seth and Punk’s cage match with Ospreay and Fletcher, and now two weeks before Triple Threat Mania they’re likely going to put on the best Triple Threat you’ll see all year.

Mercedes vs. Starks was really good. I love that Mercedes has quietly turned this run around by just being fucking great in the ring. Assuming this leads to Athena coming in. Hoping she lives up the hype I’ve heard from the absolute maniacs who find the time to watch ROH.

I saw Tony Khan was teasing a return of Kamille recently? Fuck that. It’s time for an upgrade!

Mox vs. Cope was a thousand times better than the pay per view. So much better for not having to follow the greatest three match run in the history of pro-wrestling pay per view. A total Attitude Era main event, all the bells and whistles, but that’s exactly what this needed to be. Plus, Willow Nightingale doing spots in a cardigan added at least two extra stars to this. She’s so obviously the one. 

I didn’t mind the spot with the Spike one way or the other. I mean, obviously mental, but you can’t knock them for doing it. It got a big reaction. It got them a lot of press. And more than anything, it means any teases going forward will have far more gravitas. It’s not like Triple H’s shitty sledgehammer that never actually does any damage. There’s now historical evidence that Cope will puncture actual human tissue with this weapon if needs be.

Honestly, it’s probably the best thing Mox has done in months. Give me ULTRA-VIOLENT Mox over Catburglar Mox any day of the week. I still hate this Death Rider angle and pray Swerve takes the belt at Dynasty, but there’s something endearing about a millionaire driving eleven hours to do some daft CZW nonsense. Everyone always talking about, “for the love of the game,” but nobody embodies it more than this nutcase. Funny watching Moxley telling Yuta to go do his spots when he’s got a plank of wood impaled in his back, too. A real pro.

A much better finish to this match, too. Those boos when Moxley won felt like actual heel heat, rather than the ,”ah, fuck off,” heat they got at the pay per view. Tonnes of interesting directions they could go in, too. Rated FTR going for the Trios Titles? An FTR turn against Cope, maybe leading to a Christian reunion? Even the interference from The Patriarchy, it felt like there’s more to that than meets the eye, like they were trying to impress Christian and get back in his good graces than being ordered to do it. All roads must be leading to Christian and Cope, surely? Match against the Young Bucks feels like the call to make for All In.

If nothing else, it was all worth it just for this. Hilarious. Imagine being married to this man. “Good day in work?” “The best.”

 

Edited March 21, 2025 by Supremo

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

2 hours ago, LaGoosh said:

Worth noting that the company does seem to be in an upswing. Ratings for Dynamite and Collision have been slowly and steadily growing each week (and that doesn't even take into account Max numbers) and Revolution was their biggest PPV attendance and buyrate wise in ages. It's good to see the effort they are putting in to maintain consistently entertaining and logical weekly TV seems to be working.

I don't want to get into a ratings ramble with a fellow Khan Ultra, and this could be just that people are watching on Max now, but as the Max numbers don't seem to get released we will never really know. Things may be a positive short terms ratings wise but as you can see, long term perhaps not so much. 

https://wrestlenomics.com/tv-ratings/2025/aew-dynamite-mar-19-on-tbs-658000-viewers-0-19-p18-49-rating-tv-ratings-attendance-analysis/

As long as TNT are happy though they are going to be OK and there is so much exciting talent in AEW that surely they can't fail to be. 

I have over the last few days sought out some Mike Bailey matches to see what I think of him. I've got to say that his barefoot karate man gimmick seems very 1980s. I'm not sold on him at all as of yet but it's early days and I'm willing to give him a chance. 

[RedTwoster]

24 minutes ago, Supremo said:

I like Mike Bailey. It’s like if RVD had a younger, smaller, dorkier brother. Great fun to watch. The three-way at the pay per view should be wild. Wonder if they’re doing it on purpose at this point. They completely overshadowed Seth and Punk’s cage match with Ospreay and Fletcher, and now two weeks before Triple Threat Mania they’re likely going to put on the best Triple Threat you’ll see all year.

Yeah, Bailey is decent and the triple threat should be sensational. I’ve always found them to be bang average on the mic, so I’m not convinced they’ll break into the upper tier in AEW or even that they should break into the upper tier, but time will tell.

With the triple threat, (presumably) Mone/Athena and even Moxley/Swerve, it’s not Wrestlemania that I’m looking forward to most this April. 

[Chili]

They really love the FTR/Young Bucks lore in AEW, or they and Tony do. So I reckon it's FTR/Bucks/C&C Music Factory for All In maybe, chuck in the Hurt Business and a TLC stip too.