Just finished the last episode of Who killed WCW. What a series. I think i've said on here that i wanted to see the dark side team produce a series on it, and it was my unasked question to Bischoff in London.
I'm glad the truth has finally been told which is in stark contrast to the WWE billionaire Ted narrative and the nonsense Death Of WCW book.
Great times and WCW in '97 is my favourite year by a distance.
Breaker v Sami at Money in The Bank, turns out he can be a good transitional champion. 😉
Its really sad and the internet narrative seems to be mostly "AEW is losing audience lol", when competition is super important and we need another company to run head to head with WWE like WCW did in the 90s. It just needs someone to take over the book from Tony.
I think the weekly AEW TV has actually been pretty good this year bar a couple of real stinkers. But a huge percentage of wrestling fans will be more than happy as long as WWE is doing as well as it is.
It's an important piece of the wrestling landscape currently as it provides an alternative for wrestlers to work and hopefully get leverage to make more money... also bar a few main eventers it's very much needed for people to go somewhere else and do something different for a while after a few years, a bit more like the days of moving around the territories etc.
WWE is great at the moment so competition isn't that important for creative.
Tony had incredible people behind the scenes, like Arn and Regal, but just wanted to do what he and his VIPs wanted. You hear the same criticism from people who have left. The way they've booked Swerve shows he doesn't know what to do imo. It's become a promotion where i'll watch matches that people recommend rather than look forward to each week. You can't help but wonder what a Bischoff, Heyman or Cornette could have achieved with the money Tony has spent.
WWE is great at the moment so competition isn't that important for creative.
Tony had incredible people behind the scenes, like Arn and Regal, but just wanted to do what he and his VIPs wanted. You hear the same criticism from people who have left. The way they've booked Swerve shows he doesn't know what to do imo. It's become a promotion where i'll watch matches that people recommend rather than look forward to each week. You can't help but wonder what a Bischoff, Heyman or Cornette could have achieved with the money Tony has spent.
Agreed, but that can always change very quickly!
I don't think the booking of Swerve has been particularly bad - there were a few weeks where he really lost that edge that got people invested in him as a heel in the first place, but I think he's recovered from that. Looks very much like the story for his match with Osprey will play into the fact that he's got more killer instinct.
I think that in general 5 years is too long for anyone to be booking a weekly wrestling show (I can't think of many great stretches of wrestling TV that long attributed to one person) so changes in the creative would be very beneficial, but of those those mentioned I'd only be intrigued by Heyman (and as much as I hate the term he'd definitely need a 'filter'!)
I agree that wrestling as a whole needs AEW to do well, but TK isn't the man for the job. He can and will bankroll it, but he desperately needs people to actually run creative and such for him, and the sooner his ego lets him see that, the better
Neither Swerve or Osprey should be losing at this stage, he's booked himself into a hole. Osprey had only just won a title himself at the last ppv.
If you compare Mone and Moxley's first tv show post world title win to Swerve's, a match against Karl Fletcher, it's pretty strange. Swerve should be the face of the company that's lacking in star power. They're already teasing Osprey v MJF.
The pop when Roman returns is gonna be something else.
The noise when he said no was something else. Not a fan of Sikoa, but he was great in that segment yesterday. We must be getting real close to Roman Reigns returning. Will try and avoid the spoilers as don’t want to ruin the surprise for when he does return.
The Bloodline story is fantastic and Reigns return might be one of the biggest ever.
Judgment Day are in an interesting place, and Rhea Ripley returning is going to be incredible if they time it right. Loving the segments with Dom and Liv Morgan.
Enjoying Drew and CM Punks feud, feel Punk is bringing out the best in Drew,
Bron Breakker is a machine, freaky athletic, and I think he's a good successor to Brock Lesnar. There will never be another Brock, but he's a good squash wrestler, and has the charisma to go with it. I am curious to see what the plan is with him long term,
And finally, Cody. Imo a top3 baby face the WWE has ever had, the only problem they may have with Cody, is he's so good at being face, but he's equally good as a heel. Do they keep him as is, or do they make him flip the switch long term. It's been touted a lot but you could definitely see him going down a Homelander route. I've seen people say Cody is boring, but it's usually people who love Roman. I think they're both great, but have a slight edge towards Cody as I think Paul Heyman is the huge reason for Romans success as a heel.
Heyman is so good, that he's successfully transitioned Roman to full face again, without him even picking up a mic, it's incredible story telling.
Haven't enjoyed wrestling this much since probably 2008 or so? Or when Punk became huge. Really invested
Edit: and uncle Howdy! On further reflection I don't think it's been this good since the late 90s, there's so many angles and big characters now, from when the mid-card stories were useless for years
Probably the most anticipated since the Lesnar/Undertaker rematch, considering how good the build has been for some of the main angles.
Punk/Drew, Ripley/Liv/Dom have both had Wrestlemania quality storytelling in recent months. And then there is the potential major return of Roman Reigns.
Probably the most anticipated since the Lesnar/Undertaker rematch, considering how good the build has been for some of the main angles.
Punk/Drew, Ripley/Liv/Dom have both had Wrestlemania quality storytelling in recent months. And then there is the potential major return of Roman Reigns.
All teed up very, very nicely
If they bring Roman back now, it's too early. They like a slow build to these stories. If they're smart they have The Rock interfere instead and drag the story out to Survivor Series
Comments
They're really turning things up, and that's without Roman.
Meanwhile Dynamite viewers has dipped to 509k
I'm glad the truth has finally been told which is in stark contrast to the WWE billionaire Ted narrative and the nonsense Death Of WCW book.
Great times and WCW in '97 is my favourite year by a distance.
Breaker v Sami at Money in The Bank, turns out he can be a good transitional champion. 😉
It's an important piece of the wrestling landscape currently as it provides an alternative for wrestlers to work and hopefully get leverage to make more money... also bar a few main eventers it's very much needed for people to go somewhere else and do something different for a while after a few years, a bit more like the days of moving around the territories etc.
Tony had incredible people behind the scenes, like Arn and Regal, but just wanted to do what he and his VIPs wanted. You hear the same criticism from people who have left. The way they've booked Swerve shows he doesn't know what to do imo. It's become a promotion where i'll watch matches that people recommend rather than look forward to each week. You can't help but wonder what a Bischoff, Heyman or Cornette could have achieved with the money Tony has spent.
I don't think the booking of Swerve has been particularly bad - there were a few weeks where he really lost that edge that got people invested in him as a heel in the first place, but I think he's recovered from that. Looks very much like the story for his match with Osprey will play into the fact that he's got more killer instinct.
I think that in general 5 years is too long for anyone to be booking a weekly wrestling show (I can't think of many great stretches of wrestling TV that long attributed to one person) so changes in the creative would be very beneficial, but of those those mentioned I'd only be intrigued by Heyman (and as much as I hate the term he'd definitely need a 'filter'!)
If you compare Mone and Moxley's first tv show post world title win to Swerve's, a match against Karl Fletcher, it's pretty strange. Swerve should be the face of the company that's lacking in star power. They're already teasing Osprey v MJF.
The pop when Roman returns is gonna be something else.
It's the best storyline in the history of wrestling. Roman coming back as a monster face to put an end to it would be a great finale.
Sami should've won in Montreal. 😉
The Bloodline story is fantastic and Reigns return might be one of the biggest ever.
Judgment Day are in an interesting place, and Rhea Ripley returning is going to be incredible if they time it right. Loving the segments with Dom and Liv Morgan.
Enjoying Drew and CM Punks feud, feel Punk is bringing out the best in Drew,
Bron Breakker is a machine, freaky athletic, and I think he's a good successor to Brock Lesnar. There will never be another Brock, but he's a good squash wrestler, and has the charisma to go with it. I am curious to see what the plan is with him long term,
And finally, Cody. Imo a top3 baby face the WWE has ever had, the only problem they may have with Cody, is he's so good at being face, but he's equally good as a heel. Do they keep him as is, or do they make him flip the switch long term. It's been touted a lot but you could definitely see him going down a Homelander route. I've seen people say Cody is boring, but it's usually people who love Roman. I think they're both great, but have a slight edge towards Cody as I think Paul Heyman is the huge reason for Romans success as a heel.
Heyman is so good, that he's successfully transitioned Roman to full face again, without him even picking up a mic, it's incredible story telling.
Haven't enjoyed wrestling this much since probably 2008 or so? Or when Punk became huge. Really invested
Edit: and uncle Howdy! On further reflection I don't think it's been this good since the late 90s, there's so many angles and big characters now, from when the mid-card stories were useless for years
I got the AEW title match wrong as they put over the right guy and the IC title match wrong as they put over the wrong guy. 😃
Punk/Drew, Ripley/Liv/Dom have both had Wrestlemania quality storytelling in recent months. And then there is the potential major return of Roman Reigns.
All teed up very, very nicely
Punk/Drew is probably one of the greatest feuds in modern history.