Paid Members BomberPat Posted June 29 Paid Members Posted June 29 mental that The Opps were a main event act six months ago. Quote
Paid Members Kamran Posted June 30 Paid Members Posted June 30 Currently only 2 matches have been announced for Dynamite tomorrow: Quote
RIDDUM_N_STYLE Posted June 30 Posted June 30 And Collision is airing Thursday this week cos of 4th July Quote
Chili Posted July 2 Posted July 2 Is AEW ok? A post-PPV episode of TV that actually built momentum. Lovely stuff. Quote
Paid Members BomberPat Posted July 2 Paid Members Posted July 2 amazing how much better the TV can be when things actually feel important and like they're going somewhere! They also managed something that AEW are usually pretty bad at, but that always makes the TV better when they pull it off, of having a narrative thread running all the way through the episode - too often you'll see a big star in the opening segment, and then by the end of the show you've forgotten about them, but this show never let you forget about the stakes of Kenny Omega vs. MJF, and the role Will Ospreay has to play in that. It even feels like things are finally going to come to a head with the Death Riders/Ospreay story, though I still think it's been a waste of time, and that by the time we get to Omega vs. Ospreay at All In, Jon Moxley will be the Debra at Wrestlemania 17 to that match's Rock vs. Austin. Aside from Lio Rush (who actually had a great match, without too much of the bits I hate of the gimmick), the opening segment was probably my low point when it should have been great. It's madness to open your show with a wrestler talking about how AEW "could be" great, and not have a single person challenge him on it and say that actually AEW is great - especially when it's a wrestler who spent the better part of a year feuding with half the roster about it! I was absolutely convinced that either Ospreay would shut him down and say, "what do you mean it "could be"?, and when he didn't, I thought Kenny Omega would be bring it up, but no, just have one of the top stars on the show open the show by saying the company could be better. Which would be fine if it were just "he's a heel, you're supposed to disagree with him" - though, again, if not a wrestler then someone on commentary should have addressed it - but the problem with the Death Riders is that Moxley's saying that, and then wrestling babyface later on the same show. The whole story is a mess precisely because they can't decide whether Moxley is a face or a heel, and so if Will eventually stands up to himself and realises that Moxley's using him or whatever is going on, it's an incredibly unsatisfying step in that story because for one it makes Will Ospreay look like a gullible idiot for agreeing to train and team with the guy who broke his neck over any of his actual mates, and because Moxley hasn't been positioned as an obvious villain so there's no "Virgil standing up to Ted DiBiase" moment where the babyface stands on his own two feet. And I probably shouldn't be put in a position of comparing the anointed next babyface World Champion to Virgil in the first place! I just can't see an outcome to this story that doesn't make Will look like a prick, an idiot, selfish, gullible, or petulant (because the other prospect is that he refuses the help of Moxley and Omega, which just puts Kenny slightly paternalistically but earnestly trying to offer him advice as on the same level as the guy who broke his neck), and none of those are qualities you want associated with your top babyface going into the biggest show of the year. While I'm complaining, it's a perfect storm of my problems with how AEW books titles that the former World Champion is now challenging for the TNT Title against a guy who won't shut up about wanting to challenge for the World Title. Good stuff, though - I thought Briscoe vs. MJF was great despite being a foregone conclusion, the stuff with Omega, MJF, the Young Bucks, and Will Ospreay was really well paced and believable with a lot of narrative weight behind it (which once again makes me wonder why the Death Riders are anywhere near this story in the first place), Andrade going full babyface went really well, Jay White's promo was fantastic and did a great job of explaining his history with The Dogs while also making it clear that he is unique among wrestlers in actually having watched the show; it's probably not great to have one of your babyfaces on the show have to ask why none of the other babyfaces give a shit about the Death Riders any more after working together against them for months, but I'm glad that someone is at least actually saying it. The main thing though was just how much things felt like they had consequence and that they actually mattered. I've been assuming that it's Kenny Omega vs. MJF at Redemption, so doing that on TV next week with that stipulation shocked me - I did think they would do either Title vs. Career or the Hangman/Cody stip, just at the PPV, not so soon before it. That also means, assuming Kenny's going over, that there's no time for Andrade or Kevin Knight to get the shots against MJF that they've been after, and which the latter has been promised, so that's an interesting storyline note. I assume Andrade is kept busy with the Don Callis Family, and I had assumed he'd get a title shot against Kenny at Grand Slam Mexico and then goes after MJF without the title involved, though it depends how long him feuding the DCF goes - it feels like more people will break away from the Family, they've been teasing Don being angry with RPG Vice for a while, so I wonder if they're building towards a big match between past and present members. Though given that they could get very naturally to Andrade & Takeshita vs. Okada & Fletcher, adding RPG Vice into that mix would be a definite case of subtraction by addition. In terms of getting the title shot, Kevin Knight vs. Kenny Omega is a much more interesting match to me than going back to Kevin vs. MJF, even if it does mean bringing Kenny back into the orbit of Don Callis. Quote
The King Of Swing Posted July 2 Posted July 2 Other than Survival of The Fittest, which I thought was pretty poor (correct result, though I think Shida has clearly lost a step or two) and no Thekla, that was mostly a really enjoyable episode of Dynamite. Commentary saying that Kevin Knight wasn't medically clear, really annoyed me though. Quote
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted July 2 Paid Members Posted July 2 (edited) 3 hours ago, BomberPat said: The whole story is a mess precisely because they can't decide whether Moxley is a face or a heel I think this is Tony Khan's cowardice as a booker. He's often afraid to commit to something. I see the appeal as a booker - you have an over upper card act in the Deathriders who you can slot into any position on the card as either a face or heel against any opponents and you're almost guaranteed to get something good out of it. Who would want to throw that away? It's a handy card to be able to play whenever you want. But it's getting to a point where it's just silly and actively hurting other acts and stories. In any creative medium you just have to take a swing and go with something rather than trying to have your cake and eat it too. Edited July 2 by LaGoosh Quote
poetofthedeed Posted July 2 Posted July 2 Did MJF actually say next weeks match is for the belt? I see it's advertised as a title match but i found his wording very shenanagins based. Quote
The King Of Swing Posted July 2 Posted July 2 Yeah MJF's wording was pretty vague, but AEW are not really known for pulling a bait and switch, so I'm assuming it's a title match as advertised. If Omega wins the title next week, I have no idea what the main event of Redemption, is going to be. If he loses, I'm going be very irritated. Quote
Ro_y Disco Posted July 2 Posted July 2 (edited) Rematch with a stip, either way? Edited July 2 by Ro_y Disco Quote
Paid Members Chris B Posted July 2 Paid Members Posted July 2 I keep going back to this, but... MJF offers the Hangman stip for the PPV. Hangman comes back to stop him cheating/winning. Quote
Paid Members RedTwoster Posted July 2 Author Paid Members Posted July 2 Oh my fucking goodness, what a brilliant episode of AEW television, one of the best in ages. I loved the show long story, I loved the MJF/Ospreay confrontation, I loved Jay White’s promo and I loved the majority of the wrestling. I’m absolutely buzzing for next week now, and I’m in two minds about it - the MJF/Ospreay confrontation was so good that I kind of want to see that match. And the prospect of Ospreay taking on an MJF who has ended the title hopes of Hangman, Omega and even Cody is exciting. Whether it would be worth sacrificing Omega’s title hopes for is another thing. I’m pretty certain there’s more to the Ospreay/Death Riders story than them simply being a best friends club; whether they turn on him, he becomes their new leader ousting Moxley or something else entirely, it does seem to me like there’s some kind of direction to it. Jay White absolutely pissed charisma during his promo and he really felt like someone who could be an enormous star for the company. I hope he’s over his injury woes and gets that chance. I was beyond delighted to see Shida win the TBS title, she’s been one of my favourite characters in the company since she returned. Statlander needs a reboot before she holds a belt again, but it always feels possible with her, so I found the final moments of that match a stressful watch. Lio Rush continues to entertain me, he’s so into the little weirdo gimmick that I can’t help but enjoy it. Once again, I’m almost certain Tony Khan visits this board. He’s addressed very specific complaints people here have had about AEW one time too many for it to be a coincidence. So with that in mind - Tony, please sort out the issue My AEW has with freezing, seemingly an iPad specific one. It happened three times during this show for me. That said, fuck me I loved that show, I can’t believe we’re getting such an incredible card next week. I’m absolutely buzzing for it. Quote
Paid Members Kamran Posted July 2 Paid Members Posted July 2 Can they keep that momentum going for Collision tonight? Quote
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted July 3 Paid Members Posted July 3 (edited) Very enjoyable Dynamite this week. I have a few nitpicks but they are the usual ones so I won't go into them. Having a clear story with stakes which involves multiple people across the roster take place across the show always makes things vastly better and AEW should be trying to do this every week. I'm invested and I think Omega takes it next week or we get some kind of shenanigans and he gets it at Redemption. I don't think you can tease Ospreay vs Omega at Wembley and not deliver - unless they're planning on a 3 way with MJF which I would not care for at all. Fair play to MJF. I was very unhappy when he initially regained the World title last year but he's been excellent this year. Career best across the board. He was particularly good on this show. Kenny Omega is someone who is very hit and miss on the mic but he was also great this week. Persephone is someone I haven't really paid much attention to but she really stood out in the Survival of the Fittest. She's great! Next big woman's star on their hands for sure. I can't wait to see her and Statlander absolutely clobber one another. Deserved win by SHIDA. I've always enjoyed her and nice for one of the early people to still be around winning titles. I think she's going to be a lot of fun as the sneaky cowardly heel Champion. A depressing game I like to play is every time Chris Jericho is one screen I imagine if Eddie Kingston was in his place and how much better everything would be. Eddie and Ricochet having a long feud - great! Eddie in a Stadium Stampede teaming up with Omega, the Bucks and the Hurt business - fantastic! Eddie and Tommasso Ciampa brawling backstage trying to gouge each other's eyes out with power tools - beautiful! *sigh* I hate you Chris Jericho. Good to see the Bang Bang Gang finally back together, though I wish they'd stick to their banging hip hop theme and not Jay White's theme which doesn't really work for a babyface team. And I also wish they'd drop the "we have two words for you...gun's up!" bit. I've always hated that. Ace Austin definitely feels like the odd one out in this group now. Feels like it'd be an easy win to have him turn heel on them and join The Dogs to make it 4 on 4! Do it Tony, we all know you're reading! Edited July 3 by LaGoosh Quote
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