AEW 2023: Scissor Me Daddy!

or at least i really hope so

oh yeah him getting do the G1, meeting Kawada, getting his photo at Ribera's etc. has been a total joy, don't get me wrong, but i think he's one of a few really key assets they have, you can't manufacture that connection he has with the crowds, and i don't think they necessarily see him at the level i wish he was at. fingers crossed i'm wrong and he gets that push though

You’ll get to argument from me that Ricky Starks deserves all the time to shine. I’ve been on the Starks train since NWA Powerrr (Remember when that was appointment viewing? LOL!) and I’ve said it here before, he’s more main-event ready than all but one of the young ‘pillars’.

I could make a very long list of all the stuff in AEW that gets my goat (and that most others would butt in to say “Well actually…”) but I still watch it every week and on balance the pros outweigh the cons and hey, it’s more rewarding than WWE. Also I’ll pay the €20 or whatever to watch All In live, of course I will.

*no argument, ffs

Oh yeah and bring on the Eddie Kingston push!

if this is building toward all out, which is just a few weeks away, they should maybe attempt to tell this story, idk, in the ring, on a show, instead of in dirt sheets and through dark punk promos that suck ass

hangman was right

― ivy., Tuesday, 15 August 2023 15:32 (five hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

I never said it was a good idea, just a theory. And they’ve used dirt sheet reddit drama a bunch of times before. Personally I’d prefer a proper story but hopefully one is building from here.

I like that Collision is different. BCG are my favourite thing in the world right now. The cardboard cutout just put them over the top. Wish there was more Miro and less QT Marshall though. Also hope Kevin Kelly doesn’t come back.

I don’t think they’ve done the “randomly drop a hot wrestler” in a while except out of injury? I guess the Acclaimed have cooled down a bit in the past 6 months but I can’t think of anyone else who has been Wardlowed. I think if there wasn’t major injuries to Hayter, Keith Lee (when he should have fought Swerve), DBry, Pac et al they’d be on even more of a roll right now. They’ve definitely handled this round of injuries better than they did last summer.

I feel like current day Christian may be one of my favourite things in wrestling history, like up there with Steiner promos, Sid in 96 and Owen the Slammy winner. Definitely the best thing he’s done since he was in TNA. He’s just such a bastard.

i never got to experience christian in any other company but since his heel turn he has been my favorite promo of all time basically

i love aew dynamite

i love how moxley/kingston is turning into the first run omgega/page slowburn.

big oof, cash

they're gonna have to find two wrestlers for collision that punk doesn't hate

Man I’m PISSED. That was my #1 match for next week. I don’t really care that much about the rest of the card, even though I know it’ll still be a good show.

I guess they could add the Bucks to the Golden Elite v BCG (+ the Gunns?). But then there is already a 12 man match with mystery opponents. But they just beat the Gunns on Dynamite, so it’s not particularly exciting to go that route.

Dax can maybe be Punk’s manager? Idk

I’ve just started Dynamite and heard the man in the mask say All In will be the biggest event in wrestling history… can you imagine how much moustache Vince is stewing? Just this thought alone is gonna make me love Sunday.

On my way to Wembley!

I missed the opportunity to catch Collision this morning and don’t wanna click on any wrestling media/social media for potential spoilers.* Did I miss anything?

*Really I just want to see the set in person. Although I’ve not yet seen any beforehand pics, like you usually get 5 or 6 days before Mania. I hope they’ve put the effort in.

Hook vs Jack Perry got added to the card. Which I mean, you have another PPV real soon and this card is already stuffed, settle down Tony

The set appears to have plenty of screens, which is good for this 5'7 guy who accidentally bought a pitch seat at the back

hope y'all have so much fun

I’ve only seen images of the ring set-up. Hopefully the awning won’t block the view of the ring from the higher stands.

Starting to get excited now, two hours till the pre-show!

i'm only now finishing dynamite (was on vacation all last week) but i'm sooo excited to see ar fox perform in front of a crowd this big

wasn’t he written off the show?

oh yeah i suppose so, i interpreted the events on dynamite incorrectly lol. oh well

Yeah I heard AR Fox and Fenix couldn’t get visas and had to be written off the show. Don’t know how true this is though.

AR Fox it makes sense as he wasn’t signed that long ago and the visa process is a nightmare at the best of times. As for Fenix, who knows what couldn’t be done for him that was for his brother, if that is indeed the case.

that pre show was so dope

That was a good time. Didn't really drag despite being long.

Bucks-FTR was the highlight for me, heeeeell of a finishing run. Wonder what was going through Cash's mind when he had 80,000 people doing firearms jokes at him? Maffew will have allowed himself a chuckle

The main was fun and I can respect not doing a downer/shocking ending but that's a lot of meta comedy for the main event of the biggest wrestling event in history isn't it? Why did they like actually call the double clothesline spot, that turned out to be a bizarre false finish, all funny like?

Well that was fun. Wembley is proving hard to get out of, I don’t think I’m going to get back to Brighton until about 1.30am.

Will have a lot more thoughts in the morning. Merch game was terrible though, all T-shirts about the event and yet I couldn’t even see an Orange Cassidy shirt.

that show was sooooo fun

i think the main balanced funny meta stuff with actually compelling wrestling with an emotional throughline. exactly what i watch the product for

i loved every minute of that. i dragged along a friend who knows nothing at all about wrestling and he also absolutely loved it.

he also completely got the angle of MJF being this asshole with no friends who has accidentally made this one friend, and he was biting on every tease that one of them was about to screw over the other - i think that really worked

what a great time :) can't wait to watch back the tv broadcast

Godspeed AHH

we briskly dashed to the tube from our pitch seats as soon as the main ended and got back home to SE at 11.10, definitely a personal best for Wembley

Thoughts on Ospreay-Jericho? Seemed to fly by and stick to what they could do well for the most part. Jericho's huracanranas were impressive, especially the Stormbreaker counter! The dynamics of who you were meant to cheer were weird with the impromptu Fozzy concert (extreme heel move lol), Sammy running interference with the bat, Callis being out with the hometown hero

Watching the media scrum on the train… WRESTLEDREAM THE PPV

Fucking hell Tony doesn’t know how to answer a question. I feel like I picked a good time to dip in, hear about the new PPV and then to decide fuck this.

Obviously I should have kept watching to hear Jay Hunter get a question.

Callis had that good heat in my section, the second the big screen flashed to him the boos were deafening. only Punk got near it

god tier pay-per-view. when the low points are the golden lovers/page v. bullet club gold, you know you've stacked the deck well.

aaaaaaand just now learning there was another incident involving punk. huh. hats off they held the fort down for all the matches that went on after that blowup.

You probably couldn’t tell if you were there, but the way it was depicted on TV, I thought that Penta injury spot was in really poor taste. Especially in light of the company’s recent directions to talent about clearing spots, etc.

Other than that I enjoyed the show. But it sours me on it, I have to be honest.

You ever make it past sleepy, back around to buzzing again? I couldn’t go straight to sleep, watched the pre-show and Punk v Joe and finally hit my own personal GTS about 4am. Thank God today is a bank holiday, cheers for thinking that through Tony.

What a fucking show! (I just happened to be in great spirits because I’d arranged a second date with the loveliest person I’ve met in forever on the way up. She’s not a big texter so I had that terrifying feeling in the pit of my gut that it wasn’t going to happen, but she finally checked her phone and we are going indoor rock climbing on Friday)

Watching the TV back, I now really understand the stadium criticisms that have been thrown at Mania all these years. The crowd were LOUD inside, much less so on TV. And for all the shit said about wrestling fans being smelly smarks or whatever, everyone I met and was sat around was pleasant, enthusiastic and enjoyable to be around. I’ve had way worse experiences at football games and gigs.

I don’t watch WWE and know much about him but LA Knight is over. I heard as many YEAHS as I did to e Ric Flair WOO, from the tube in to the tube out. It was constant. Give him the title moustache Vince!

5 star: The Kangeroo kick, the fellas next to me trying to get a “shave those sideburns” chant going at AO, Bucks v FTR, Toni’s crazy queen entrance, seeing the Max Caster rap live and Scissor Me Daddy chants, Metallica, my section of the crowds support for daddy Sting with lots of pensioner jokes (while he’d just been knocked out, someone shouted “give him a worthers original!” which had everyone dying), Jericho v Ospreay and the carniest title match I’ve ever seen. MJF is OVER. The chants and pops were constant. Seeing Nigel, popping every Taz came on screen and me and the guy behind me doing simultaneous I AM THE TABLE shouts.

Still v good but not 5 star: I really enjoyed Stadium Stampede, more than when I’ve seen them on TV. My seat was behind the entrance ramp, so thank god it wasn’t massive like a Mania set. Punk v Joe was loads of fun, nice to see the Funk spot, the Joe walking away spot and the Pepsi Plunge. It’s a shame AEW didn’t start 10 years prior so Joe could have had a monster run. Hook’s suplexes. Sting & Darby v Swerve & Christian - fucking madmen, all of them. Double J, and hearing Madonna sang on the way out by everyone because Tony weren’t paying for a pre-show spot. The boos for Callis and seeing Golden Hung Lovers spots.

Also how well booked the show was. There was definitely a lot of borderline fans who I think got hooked in and had a great time. Almost all of right people went over, who were coincidentally often old stars like Sting, Punk, Paige and Billy Gunn. Queen & Metallica. Ospreay being presented as a superstar against the most known wrestler they have. Also the most storyline main event possible, but not in a WWE way. This was a whole show about friendship, which WWE has never understood. From Eddie and Mox being like brothers who love and hate each other to the big spots for mentors (Daddy Ass and Sting), the Best Friends winning and of course the ending. It all seemed like interesting and relatable storytelling that had everyone engaged.

Less good: Wembley is bloody soulless, huh? It’s basically a giant concrete car park. You think they could put up a poster of Bobby Moore or something. Having matches where you could have easily got appearances for your two biggest British acts (Pac as a friend in the SS, Jamie coming down with Britt) and not doing it. The finish of the women’s match looked screwy, like Britt tapped out Shida at the same time Saraya pinned Toni? Everyone in my section had a very delayed reaction as no one could seemingly remember Saraya’s music, especially as she came out to Queen. It was still real to the guy sat next to me dammit when she won, he was pissed and had lots of feelings about the women’s division. People in the same match having the same tights as their opposition - there was a lot of black trousers and Max wore white v the House of White. From my Row Z it made some stuff hard to see. Whoever booked that clothesline draw stuff in the main.

All the same, it was a great time. I need some breakfast.

Also I forgot how much I loved the Moxley’s new haircut spot.

Rewatching the Golden Elite v BCG and I’m gonna need a Rock Hard Hangman 30 minute classic Tony.

Oh another of my many thoughts on Juice Robinson, who is quickly becoming my favourite wrestler. His gold trunks make him look naked from far away. It was certainly a Rock Hard choice.

Collision really gave Juice and Jay the little featured space they needed to get properly established

Juice's act is almost too cartoonish, but he's so committed you can actually buy him as being genuinely deranged

Jay's promos and needly dickhead guest commentary have become more natural lately as well, it's almost like he had that Omega thing where he needed to deprogram himself from doing English promos for a primarily Japanese-speaking audience (except he actually did it and Kenny didn't hehe)

Yeah I don’t think anyone has played it up to 11 like Juice. He actually seemed unhinged, I love it. Jay is also killing it, although I was sad Cardblade didn’t make the trip.

Another thing I didn’t care for: the Acclaimed’s spot on Julia. I guess it would be Billy Gunn without some sort of weird misogyny spot. I bet Road Dogg and Vince Russo popped hard, wherever they are.

oh i was into it but i crave more intergender stuff

went back to rewatch because i thought it was just me, but the finish to the golden elite/bullet club came off wrong - almost as if the bullet club wasn't supposed to win? it just seemed like everyone was confused after that finish.

also, if it wasn't already apparent - MJF is a goddamn made man.

i've only been watching wrestling for four years but "i'm your scumbag (because i finally have a best friend)" is the most powerful and effective face-turn i've ever experienced

It’s been percolating ever since he cut that promo during the Punk feud about his experiences growing up. People just love him. He was by far the most over performer in my section

I think he may have been in mine too, with Ospreay and Omega up there too

Watching BTE for the first time in forever and Ziggler’s brother needs to be dropped already. He is so bad.

Well, Tony fired Punk

Fucking hell!