AEW TV 2026 discussion

[RedTwoster]

Oh god, a Brawling Birds interview segment. 

I’m looking forward to the trios title match, I can’t believe they’ve actually managed to make that division exciting. And fuck me, how did ‘Tony fumbled’ become a thing when you have Swerve, New Level and Ricochet all let go by WWE and all absolutely killing it in their new home.

Side note: @Kamran is quietly one of the most underrated posters on this forum, his show previews actively add to my viewing experience.

[RedTwoster]

Sorry for the double post, but I've just watched the Dynamite/Collision hybrid show and I do like sharing my AEW thoughts on a Thursday morning. 

It was another slightly tepid show, but I've come to accept that with AEW - immediately after their red hot 'big' story for the year - whether it's Hangman ending the Death Riders, Danielson winning one last World Title or Ospreay becoming World Champion for the first time, things cool down for a bit. The programming is still perfectly entertaining, it's just not must-watch. But I think it's OK to have a bit of rest time in between big stories, and maybe even sensible so that they still have that sense of magnitude. If every moment is 'big' none of them are. 

Anyway, I'm not sure how I feel about Swerve doing comedy with the New Level, but we'll see where it goes. I'd been enjoying his heel run, and he felt menacing as fuck in the run-up to All In. The promo segment with Hangman and Brodido was decent and I suspect it's the beginning of something rather than a one-and-done. What Hangman said was true though, the trios belts feel meaningful. I do wonder if they'll be able to keep up the momentum post-Swerve/Hangman, but I hope they can. 

Britt Baker feels like a relic from a time when the AEW women's division wasn't quite what it is - and her presentation feels a bit dated in the sense that she acts like a WWE-style 'mean girl' heel. Although AEW really should have had a women's match main event a PPV by now, they have been excellent at presenting female characters as actual human beings with a real diversity in terms of the characters they play. Maybe there's room for the kind of character Britt is playing since it's a rarity in AEW, but given that it's essentially the only way WWE presents a female heel, the character isn't working for me. 

Nick Wayne actually looked good in the suit - I'm still not convinced by his potential, but at least he's making the effort to look like a big deal. And heck, his mic work has improved. I thought Chris Jericho was good in their promo segment too, when he drops the comedy he can still be effective as a character. 

Okada is one of my favourite characters in wrestling right now. When AEW signed him I was expecting ring work - while he's perfectly decent in ring, that isn't the strength he's ended up bringing to the company, he's brought the most brilliant heel character - an absolute twat who feels totally believable in that role. He's so fucking fun and when the time is right he'll make a superb babyface - he won't need to change his character up at all, he'll be the dickhead you can't help but enjoy. 

Talking of my favourite characters in wrestling - Thekla saying she's 'for the children' made me laugh out loud. She's absolutely brilliant and I can't wait to see her interact with Toni Storm, when she returns to action. 

If I was Tony Khan, I'd be seriously tempted to close All Out with the tag title match. It feels extremely significant and I have a feeling it'll end up being the match we all remember coming out of that show. 

And finally, I hope Akira fucks off soon. He's awful. 

[Chili]

I don't mind Britt as the mean girl arsehole because she's extremely good at it. I always loved the subtly of her in early AEW when she portrayed herself as this great success with wrestling and dentistry, but underneath she was this rather sad mean girl incapable of having proper friends so she'd end with her makeup assistant as a pal and Tony Schiavone who she was subtly gaslighting before they realised how fun the chemistry was and altered it all a bit.

No problem with her being a player/coach type manager for others if I'm honest.

[RedTwoster]

4 minutes ago, Chili said:

No problem with her being a player/coach type manager for others if I'm honest.

I think that's the best use of her to be fair. Perhaps I'm being unfair, but her character feels very WWE to me. 

[Supremo]

Will Ospreay’s had a good run. Time to switch the belt.

[BomberPat]

really perfunctory episode of Dynamite. Nothing felt like it added anything or escalated anything going into All Out, which is a mad showing for the go-home show.

They're doing Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley, which is a champion vs. champion match, a match between a guy who had his neck broken and career almost ended by the other guy - months of storyline between Mox and Ospreay with Will as a member of the Death Riders, and then Mox endorsing Will going into the All Out match, and you wouldn't know any of that from this build. It's being treated as a purely competitive deal between two wrestlers who have been kept apart, not a clash between those characters. There's been more focus on mad lad Gabe Kidd and the fucking United Empire in the build to this match than there has on the fact that it's Jon Moxley vs. Will Ospreay.

Underneath it all, there's the question of what their relationship actually is now. There's the question of whether Ospreay learned enough from the Death Riders to be able to beat Moxley; a real "I taught you everything you know, but did I teach you everything I know?" set-up. There's the question of how much Mox now likes and respects Will, how far he is prepared to go to try and take him out, vs. how much Will has really forgiven Moxley for breaking his neck, and how far he would go to get revenge once he's actually in the position to deliver it. But they're not exploring any of that. Even after the Death Riders took out Francesco Akira last week, after Gabe Kidd has been threatening to murder Ospreay every week, Will's still doing friendly babyface "thank you Jon Moxley" promos. They finally got it so right with Ospreay vs. Omega after wasting months of time with the Death Riders bollocks, and I figured going to Will/Mox was just to round off the hanging threads of that storyline, but they've been taking it so slowly that I'm more convinced than ever they probably see out the rest of the year without finishing the Ospreay/Death Riders storyline.

And if the plan isn't for Cope and Cage to turn heel, then Adam Copeland is fast becoming the worst babyface in the company. The promo he cut on Steve Borden was so obnoxious and condescending, and really counter-productive for a guy they're trying to build up as a future babyface star. The whole tone of treating a challenge for the tag titles as some kind of personal slight is just the least babyface behaviour going. And he wasn't much better in the three-way face-to-face, because he can't get through a promo without talking how important and legendary he is.

[tiger_rick]

Tony Skiavone's "Well, there he goes" after Ospreay laid out Gabe Kidd was the line of the night. Reminded me of JR at his best. Such brilliant timing. I've chuckled everytime I've thought about it.

There wasn't much on the Dynamite portion of this show I didn't like. Thought Ospreay did a great job of putting the exclamation on the title match build. Don't disagree with Pat's take on the feud and the whole Ospreay/Death Riders relationship but I think they've done a decent job of making it feel like Moxley was important to Ospreay's story even if they didn't tell it that well in the first place. What it has done is give the new Champion a first PPV title defence that feels like a big deal on a big show which has been one of their weaknesses forever. I really like this match and I really like where Ospreay is at.

Trios Title and Tag Titles divisions have both been a highlight for weeks and the trios match and both segments were fun enough builds for matches that have felt locked in for ages. That final shot of the Bucks on the ladder, C&C on the chairs and FTR near the table was a bit on the nose though. Very Vince production that I could live without.

Thekla and WIllow are awesome. I hope the Women's title moves between these two and Mercedes a couple of times before we get the inevitable Triple Threat that should feel huge when we get there.

Collision portion was quite weak, with a bunch of mismatches. I do enjoy the Fletcher/Knight team though and Andrade/Pac is incredible match-making. Bloody loved that run in. 

There may be 57 titles in AEW and 47 indistinguishable singles titles but when you go into a PPV with undercard title fights Okada vs. Ciampa and Andrade vs. Pac and you have Moxley and Allin as singles champs whose belts aren't even on the line, I can just forgive it. I'd love them to find a way to distinguish the titles but the Champions have, for most of the year, all being fucking brilliant wrestlers who feel like they should have gold.

13 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

And if the plan isn't for Cope and Cage to turn heel, then Adam Copeland is fast becoming the worst babyface in the company. The promo he cut on Steve Borden was so obnoxious and condescending, and really counter-productive for a guy they're trying to build up as a future babyface star. The whole tone of treating a challenge for the tag titles as some kind of personal slight is just the least babyface behaviour going. And he wasn't much better in the three-way face-to-face, because he can't get through a promo without talking how important and legendary he is.

This doesn't feel accidental to me. Sting and Steve being lined up as their next opponents feels like a turning point for them.

5 hours ago, RedTwoster said:

If I was Tony Khan, I'd be seriously tempted to close All Out with the tag title match. It feels extremely significant and I have a feeling it'll end up being the match we all remember coming out of that show. 

The match that's the most fun doesn't have to close the show. Feel like that's beeen a worry in this sort of discussion ever since WrestleMania 18. The close of this show should be Will Ospreay on top of the world having vanquished Jon Moxley, perhaps with MJF coming to set up the next challenge. Nothing comes remotely close to being as important. I think the tag and trios matches will be showstealers but I don't think that's enough to justify them headlining. TK is great at ensuring the World Title is the centre of this universe.

[Supremo]

I assume there are probably contractual reasons for why they have to do these extended, combination episodes of Dynamite and Collision on pay per view weeks. Not ideal, but understandable.

What I can’t understand is Tony Khan then deciding to add a twenty six minute overrun to an already three hour television show. Man’s an absolute nutter!

Highlight of the show was Nick Wayne getting so fired up that he dropped an accidental F-bomb. Endeared me even more to him. I’ve got a lot of time for Nick Wayne. In the same way it used to be fun to follow and compare the young careers of Dirty Dom and Hook, before they both massively plateaued and stagnated, I now get that same feeling watching Nick Wayne and Steven Borden.

Maybe that can be the ultimate endgame for this new, “swipe right,” gimmick.

Nick Wayne vs. Steven Borden.

The Irresistible Force meets the Immovable Object.

Most Punchable Face on Earth vs. The Most Handsome Man Alive.

 

[LaGoosh]

1 minute ago, Supremo said:

assume there are probably contractual reasons for why they have to do these extended, combination episodes of Dynamite and Collision on pay per view weeks

AEW have to contractually give them a minimum of 4 hours of TV per week. With All Out on Saturday they obviously can't do a normal Saturday Collision so they do an extra hour on Wednesday then use an hour of the Buy In as the other hour of Collision. 

[RedTwoster]

36 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

The match that's the most fun doesn't have to close the show. Feel like that's beeen a worry in this sort of discussion ever since WrestleMania 18. The close of this show should be Will Ospreay on top of the world having vanquished Jon Moxley, perhaps with MJF coming to set up the next challenge. Nothing comes remotely close to being as important. I think the tag and trios matches will be showstealers but I don't think that's enough to justify them headlining. TK is great at ensuring the World Title is the centre of this universe.

It's not so much that it's the match that's the most fun (although it definitely is), it's that it feels like the biggest tag team match they've put on in quite some time. I'm totally up for it closing the show, but you're right - there probably will be some sort of moment post-match with Moxley. My guess is that it'll be the Death Riders finally turning on Mox, or at least walking out on him. I don't think the year ends with Moxley as their leader. 

40 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

What it has done is give the new Champion a first PPV title defence that feels like a big deal on a big show which has been one of their weaknesses forever. I

Do you think? I know Danielson took on Jack Perry, but on the whole, they've done quite a good job at not throwing a 'Kane' at the new World Champion on their first PPV title defence. Even Omega facing Kevin Knight served a purpose other than giving Omega a win - I'd argue that Knight came out of that feud and match feeling like a future main eventer, whereas beforehand his performances as a character had been quite mixed. He's really good on the mic now, and I think being forced to step it up in that way is a significant reason for that. 

[BomberPat]

6 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

This doesn't feel accidental to me. Sting and Steve being lined up as their next opponents feels like a turning point for them.

I'm also hoping it's not accidental, particularly coming not long off the back of Cage and Cope basically cheating to beat the Young Bucks. Difference is, I'm not convinced Cage & Cope come out of All Out as tag champs, I assume the belts are getting shifted on to one of the other two teams - the Young Bucks have the history with Sting, and FTR are a great team to work with a rookie like STEVE, and I just don't see how much more mileage there is in Cope and Cage as champions. At some point you would think they'd be shuffling the decks to get to Young Bucks vs. New Level - I would prefer Omega & The Bucks vs. New Level & Swerve for the Trios belts, but it's AEW, so you can't rule out them getting both sets of belts on one team.

Something I do like in the Moxley/Ospreay build is Excalibur and Moxley both talking up how Mox was wrestling Dezmond Xavier because he's testing himself against high-flyers to prepare for Ospreay. That's the sort of wrestling storytelling I love, and really gets into the weeds of different approaches to wrestling being things you have to train and prepare for, love it. But it feels like the build you'd do to these two meeting for the first time as big stars with no history, not Ospreay and Moxley now.

Watched  Collision now - I thought Steve Borden looked incredibly awkward and nervous, shuffling on his feet, and didn't know where to look. But he still looked like an absolutely gorgeous megastar. Strike while the iron's hot and push him as far as he will go. Three matches in? Who gives a fuck! Give him the world.

I agree that Ace Austin vs. PAC was brilliant match-making. Ace Austin is the kind of wrestler who does something I've never seen before in every match, which on paper is what I want, but in practice can be kind of exhausting and makes things feel a bit too choreographed; I've often said that he'd be brilliant if he can focus his creativity to one or two big ideas per match, and then work on making them really make sense and mean something. PAC is exactly the kind of opponent he needs to do that.

[RedTwoster]

30 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

I just don't see how much more mileage there is in Cope and Cage as champions. At some point you would think they'd be shuffling the decks to get to Young Bucks vs. New Level - I would prefer Omega & The Bucks vs. New Level & Swerve for the Trios belts, but it's AEW, so you can't rule out them getting both sets of belts on one team.

C&C vs New Level has never happened in any company, so perhaps that’s your eventual avenue to New Level/Bucks?

[tiger_rick]

32 minutes ago, RedTwoster said:

Do you think? I know Danielson took on Jack Perry, but on the whole, they've done quite a good job at not throwing a 'Kane' at the new World Champion on their first PPV title defence. Even Omega facing Kevin Knight served a purpose other than giving Omega a win - I'd argue that Knight came out of that feud and match feeling like a future main eventer, whereas beforehand his performances as a character had been quite mixed. He's really good on the mic now, and I think being forced to step it up in that way is a significant reason for that. 

I definitely think there's been a downturn in momentum for quite a few of their World Champions. I can't think of many for whom the win wasn't the peak. I do think that's the case for Ospreay too, I'm not suggesting the Mox match is bigger than the win at Wembley but it does feel like something that was well-thought out and maintains his momentum, he should get a big win on a big show and then you've got Andrade and MJF and whoever on the horizon.

[LaGoosh]

Hangman's first challenger being that wet shite Adam Cole was a definite downgrade. 

[RedTwoster]

1 hour ago, tiger_rick said:

I definitely think there's been a downturn in momentum for quite a few of their World Champions. I can't think of many for whom the win wasn't the peak. I do think that's the case for Ospreay too, I'm not suggesting the Mox match is bigger than the win at Wembley but it does feel like something that was well-thought out and maintains his momentum, he should get a big win on a big show and then you've got Andrade and MJF and whoever on the horizon.

It’s difficult, particularly with babyface champions - I think they’ve nailed it with most of their heel champions. While I don’t disagree with you about momentum slowing, I don’t think it’s been through their choice in first challenger.

5 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

Hangman's first challenger being that wet shite Adam Cole was a definite downgrade. 

I don’t disagree, but Cole was never treated like a step down or, I suspect, viewed as such by Tony Khan. I think that’s was a sincere attempt at a significant first challenger, it’s just that Cole wasn’t really perceived as being that. He deserved his Wembley main event, though.