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Alright, so wife and I got back from the show. The crowd was nuclear the whole night. Something I found interesting when checking out some YouTube videos when I got home - they shot that really well (television wise.) You wouldn't know that the Fertitta Center (Hofheinz Pavilion to you old schoolers) only holds about 7,000. Crowd was slow getting in, maybe halfway full when Dark Elevation started (I was about to get concerned that it was going to look empty on TV) but the rest of the crowd showed up about 10 minutes before television time. Biggest pops - Sammy Jericho (Both) Tonys There were maybe...12 to 14 matches taped for Dark Elevation, about 7 or 8 before Dynamite started, the rest afterwards. Dark Elevation spoilers: And speaking of the last bit - Tony Khan came out and gave a really nice speech complimenting the crowd, and it didn't sound like fan service, that genuinely felt like one of the liveliest crowds in not on AEW history but wrestling history I've ever been a part of. Eddie Kingston also came out and gave another amazing, heartfelt speech.

I've really loved these guys as schmucks trying to punch above their weight so good for them.

I love Dan Lambert's "Uncle you have blocked on Facebook" schtick. I want to see him on TV every week yelling about how everybody is pussies nowadays. I will pay money to see that man get his ass beat and that's how you know it's good pro wrestling.

I will never understand this website's disdain of Omega and the Bucks. I've been here since 2005 and I just don't get it. I've heard all the arguments but man...

As it should be. Punch, punch, big spinebuster, done. Welcome to spinebuster city. Got to beat the NXT out of these guys … Sorry, my mistake, thought this was the RAW thread!

Spears always had talent. He was kind of cursed by being the first non-Elite WWE ship-jumper, he became AEW (and particularly Cody's) pet project like they just had to make him this beacon. This example of "We'll Treat You Good Here!". Slapping every gimmick on him without testing them out in dark matches. Forcing him into feuds he didn't fit into. When I said all those months ago that Spears has First Boss in an Arcade Beat-Em-Up energy I didn't mean it as an insult. That's a super important role, that's probably half the boss fights players on that machine are going to experience and the one most people are gonna remember. He's probably the apex JTTS in AEW, it's a very important role and I'm glad he's settled into it.

Definitely a gimmick I could get behind.

I'll also post this, for no reason in particular.

"The balance of power in wrestling will shift tonight tomorrow. For realzies this time. Promise."

I too am digging the rotation week to week, but as good as it’s been they’re still finding the sweet spot. For example, Malakai Black had a huge victory over Cody and then two weeks of video packages. A promo would be nice but this isn’t so much a complaint. I also feel like they’ve dropped the ball a little with acts like FTR and LAX, and holding off on their initial match for what seemed like months. Anyway, small complaint and patient for finding the flow. There are many examples where the pace is just right. As somebody that hasn’t seen Paul Wight wrestle in 15 plus years I’m excited to see him. Further, I really like the legend-respect he’s receiving. Seems refreshing after the WWE humiliation standard. Also, I’m a fan of QT and his low card gang. I don’t understand how his fantastic promos, such as this one, Miss with this online audience. Seeing QT get thrashed by Wight is something I look forward to. Yeah, I mean aside from the hilarity of their promos and perfection of their gimmicks and the consistent incredible matches, and the way they make everybody look better than they ever look (eg Luchasaurus). I mean aside from that the peanut gallery is onto something here!!!

Very off topic, but I just got to thinking how lucky we were to get Jericho on Stone Cold's Broken Skull Ranch podcast. With the way the last three to four months have been shaping up - that's going to be one of those things in 5/10/15 years from now we look back on and go "how the hell did we get an AEW employee talking about AEW on the WWE Network".

Minoru is heading to the US next month- confirmed, not in G1. If Archer needs any help vs Dan Lambert goons, knock on that door. Also would be good to scare Kenny. He'll be mega over.

I'd argue that they're trying to be as uncool as possible, but eye of the beholder and all that

I know it's her catchphrase, but bearing in mind new viewers tuning in, I'm not sure Excalibur should be enthusiastically saying "Jade Cargill - THAT BITCH - will go one on one with Kiera Hogan"

Whoever wants more Women wrestling on Dynamite also wants 25 pages of Jim Ross talk.

? Big ups to my boy, Uno. Big ups. ?

I think the Elite's schtick has gone on long enough in general. It's dull and repetitive and the booking is so decadent it would make 1998 Kevin Nash blush. I also don't really enjoy Omega or the Bucks, though, so this might just be a "it's not for me" situation.

Newark my ass - that was clearly Hoboken.

I'm glad to see people coming around on Spears. Now they just need to give him a mini-programme with 10.

This is clearly the aim of their whole act and I love it. They're all pretty much 80's ski/summer camp movie cartoon villains at this point

Folks who read the comics arguing over things that may or may not have been shown in the trailer Me: Things went boom boom

Imma stop you right there and say that the list of people that it should have been exeedingly easy to get some sort of enjoyable midcard value out of could start at Titan Towers and be long enough to find you in Finland.

Eeeh I don't know if Spears has the kind of innate charisma that allowed DDP to be a credible World Champion. Shawn Spears is a very capable hand who's range extends from beating up the lower midcard to putting over the upper midcard/main event, he's quietly good at working as either face or heel, and is capable of committing (or even overcommitting) to a gimmick. He's almost a little too credible looking for what he's good at. He can get a weird gimmick over as a loner babyface, his heel work is better with a partner or in a stable, but he will always (and not always fairly) be overshadowed by better workrate guys. And he sure can throw a Death Valley Driver. Put that all together and the computer says Shawn Spears' closest '98 WCW comparison is... *beep boop, dial-up modem, Press Your Luck sound effects* ...turns out he's Perry Saturn.

American Badass Eric Bischoff rides to Hog Wild '96

I thought the glasses gave him more of a Big Bubba Rogers thing.

Including NYC on September 24th, 2 days after the Arthur Ashe Dynamite ??

OMG Minoru Suzuki is booked for a GCW show in NYC on September 24th. Imagine Kaze Ni Nare at Arthur Ashe...!

So many people also clearly leapfrogged her during her reign, either in terms of ring work or personality or buzz, that I'm not surprised someone could potentially look at Shida's reign and not have perceived her as a long-tenured face of the division. The ring-work of Rosa and Deeb, the personality of Britt, the much-buzzed-about alleged improvement of Conti, the strangeness of Jade debuting as such a potential attraction, it all served to get people excited about whatever was coming after Shida.

And Steamboat won the title in Chicago. (I was there)

WWE really messed up The Hurt Business. They had a legit badass stable on their hands that was getting over and completely ruined it for no reason and now Lashley will probably drop the belt at SummerSlam to the one move man. What a waste. Memories:

Those are not the finalists - it is a shitty report from CBS (shocker) where they decided that some B-roll that the team itself provided meant those were the finalists. Jason Wright has already come out and the report was bullshit. And that was after Wright himself said they were down to 3 names. I mean I loathe the team but I hate shitty clickbait stories that will run wild for the next 2 days.

We also would need metal AEW logo boards for the front row to pound in unison beat with the into to that song.

Taz is really great on commentary. Dials the heel manager shtick way down, which honestly makes perfect sense as long as none of his crew or the folks they're feuding with are having a match. I also died for this exchange during Death Triangle vs Chaos Project/Cole Karter:

Got me like...

Good lord ?

Getting off the Titanic just in time to cadge a lift on the Lusitania.

In a ‘normal’ wrestling promotion, the obvious answer would be for Seth to say “I’m THE MAN of the house, so I’m here and she’s at home because That’s what I decided, so you won’t ever get to see her wrestle again”. Becky returns at some point, says “I do what I want and I don’t need a man to tell me what to do”. Kicks Seth in the nuts. Massive pop.

Legitimate UFC Heavyweight Champions who managed to defend their belts at least once, although Arlovski did so when the top 3 MMA Heavyweights were clearly fighting in PRIDE. Still, more legit than anyone on the AEW roster and JDS would be considered more legit than, say, Brock.

Needs to be doing all his promos into the front-facing camera of his phone in his F150

If he really wants me to buy that as his gimmick, why haven’t I heard anything about him being banned from multiple grocery stores for harassing the staff about COVID?

That was fun. Not a workrate episode but I LOVED the complete preposterousness of the Sting finish. I love that Sammy Guevara match was pretty much executed so that Jim Cornette could bitch about it. I hated the picture in picture during the Ford/Rosa match- as it was pretty good and it killed the momentum. Arn Anderson was fucking awesome tonight getting over Tommy End and the sacrifice of his son to him. So was Tully. FOUR HORSEMEN! And they get over the Fujiwara Armbar!

MJF got the passing of the torch moment with a clean tap out win. Really feel like Sammy Guevara is next up at the pay per view. Anybody catch that CM Punk Easter egg with Kenny omegas shirt? ;D

Cutler is approaching S-tier stooge status. The Jurassic Park flare was so money.

With all due respect.

No BS

Here is the safe for work version.