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The "wrestler in decline" is a legend that's clearly still capable of producing high-end stuff, is VERY over, has historically been presented as difficult-to-overcome badass, and has been protected in AEW to the tune of now having only lost two matches. Everything's fine, sorry if his winning the TV belt somehow diminishes Juice and Buddy's sacrifices in your eyes. Why go to "the trouble?" A fighting babyface champion going down as a result of attrition from several great title defenses isn't that confusing, and pretty much reinforces Darby's whole thing.

Bring back the confused react.

World Title: Defended a handful of times a year, hard to get a title shot . TV title: Defended frequently, easy l to get a title shot, hard to hold on to. This isn’t very complicated.

I've still got the last two matches for my commute home but... Hangman vs Mox was probably the second best Hangman match I've ever seen (after the Punk one). Mox as Hansen just pressing and pressing and Hangman leaning heel, which is really what he should, somehow, be at some point this year. My head cannon for the avalanche DVD kickout was that Mox's blood had gotten into Hangman's mouth and freaked him out. I didn't mind the tombstone reaction because Mox sold it by being up and stumbling right into the Buckshot in a way that showed he was out on his feet but still incalculably tough. I sort of wish that he had an "out" on the kickout after the Buckshot though, but it's mitigated a little that he got a banana peel win, which is not the sort of thing you expect on a third match in a series. The post-match made me want to see Claudio vs Page. I wish the production team realized NOT to cut to Moxley as he was blading. They cut to him, thought he was going to blade, and freaked out and cut away about three times, before catching it anyway. At some point, it's almost high comedy. Just stay on Page for a minute there. My favorite bit out of all of this was probably when the table was in play on the outside and they were just slamming into each other with clotheslines. Takeshita vs Cage needed to be even stupider. I loved the first few seconds when they're just hitting start-of-the-match big boots but I wish they had spent another five minutes doing that. Just a hundred big boots in a row. Make it art, fellas. Danielson vs Thatcher was lovely. Beautiful stuff. Great struggle on each exchange. It wasn't shootstyle, not really, but it was great theatrical pro wrestling with a pair of guys who portray technical wrestlers, with a body part focus which created a bevy of narrative opportunities for each exchange. Human game of chess stuff. It didn't get a chance to wear out its welcome. I would have liked another couple of minutes. We're seeing Danielson more and more banged up each week (with the example of Darby in a similar but more generalized boat). The contrast between Hangman/Mox where they fought for each move and Danielson/Thatcher where they fought for each opening, when the fights were entirely different, was just wonderful. Bring on RUSH. Acclaimed had fun but that would have been a better Dark match. For all of their success, I kind of miss them on Dark. I would be very surprised if they're turning Billy since he's part of the merch sales and it's still pretty early in the game. Rest later.

77 years ago today, Tea Totallers hurler Bugs Bunny threw an immaculate inning with one pitch. A shame more historians don't talk this up.

How many weeks in a row have you loved this show? I’ve lost count. Tho, my number is pretty huge. I did kinda hate a couple Rampages if that counts for anything. That one where Jade was gonna hold the show hostage, but instead relented a short time after. Jacksonville has seen the best of times and worst of times! So many huge matches every week. And huge matches with clean (enough) finishes! It can never be understated ‘the booking genius of Tony Khan’ to stick to matches ending in pinfall or submissions. Hangman-Moxley III!!! I was thinking a draw, but was pleased as punch with the commitment to clean finishes and the Mox win. And it worked, we all want more. ‘Backscratch of Doom!’ - one of the worst moves in wrestling by one of its greatest practioners. I’m falling head over heels for this Saraya-Toni tandem. Good on the Good Doctor to still act like an asshole to Ruby. Luv the ‘tude! Acclaimed rap n’ wrestle! Turbo and Truth are this season’s Menard and Parker, and I think we’re all on Board! Jungle Jack says no more team with Hook, which I tend to think means ‘more tag teaming with Hook’. I had a good feeling going in, and all the way to the finish with Takeshita-Cage. Cage hate is passe. Elite shooting some hoops. Nick Jackson for 3! I like the around town style promo. Remember that one by the river with Starks and Hobbs (in the fur coat)? More of this MANSURY! Real nice j-o-b by Timothy Thatcher. God bless Bryan Danielson and his incredible skillset! He’s providing matches each week for all his colleagues to study to help make pro wrestling that much better. Really dug Renee delivering the booking scoop following the MJF-Takeshita brawl. I was hoping to hear the crowd chant ‘Renee! Renee!’ Excalibur gets the wrong info as we slide to Lexi, not Renee, with Roosh, not MJF. Then MJF walks in, not disheveled like he was just fighting with a brilliant young DDT star, but like a (taped earlier in the day) Smooth Operator – small point taken away here for unsatisfactory (tho easily missed) continuity - directly to new guy, Mike. I skimmed Jade-Velvet. Loved some of the highlights. I’m with @JLowe, Red Velvet’s visual pin was not earned. The booking around Jade clearly needs some serious improvement. UGH, I am so terribly disappointed by this Red Velvet face turn. Please read the audience and let her naturally embrace the darkside. Please. Moving on, it’s the King of Television! The resurgence of Samoa Joe is an understated but great AEW story. Darby Allin is unbelievable. I did not see this title change coming. A lot of speculation surrounding an overbookedcooked finish, but instead they Do It Clean and the satisfaction is much appreciated. Good solid decision to give Darby the title and remind everybody how fucking awesome he is while letting him do his thing. His thing being the hardest working champion always. I find great inspiration seeing this young man go so far above and beyond for his Art! Darby Allin, top 5 in the world!?! Wardy finishes it out with kind of an anticlimactic return, no? Glad to see the manbun go, but wouldn’t mind also seeing the booking formula of having him beat up a bunch of security guards go away too. Whatever, Joe-Wardlow’s gonna rock! LUV-LUV-AE-DUB!

Not at all, I'm glad they're getting them some income. Hopefully, it's enough to allow them to make a change in their housing status. But two things: a) A good deed should be its own reward. If the team is running a program like this, there's no need to get PR/clout points for it. Just help them out. And b) there shouldn't have to be a 'unhoused people pick up trash for money' story, because there shouldn't be unhoused people in the richest country on earth. But that's as far as I'm willing to take this conversation on this forum.

I sort of take Darby losing the belt the same way I took the last time he had it. He pretty much defended the belt on every single show since he won it and at some point, it catches up. I like that it's Darby's story....as someone said "he's here for a good time, not a long time". Him running roughshod over his body with title defenses totally fits with his character. I actually think it would be out of character for Darby to have long reigns with any singles title considering how he defends them more frequently than anyone else.

This match is fucking GREAT! I give MOX's Crimson Mask a .4 Ruby. This is just GIGANTIC BUMP AFTER GIGANTIC BUMP! They should just run this every week. I'm waiting for a nurse so this could be a bit simplistic. GREAT NEARFALLS especially MOX kicking out of the Buckshot Lariat. HA! I missed the finish! That was great! Awesome! It's those twirly dudes. Then the ASS BOYS! It's KONOSUKE TAKESHITA! It's BRIAN CAGE! THIS is an 80s Power Match! Takeshita is making Cage look like a killer. It is power move after power move. Take follows a BEAUTIFUL LARIAT with a MOTHERFUCKING EVEREST GERMAN SUPLEX. (Talking to nurse while watching.) Soooo THAT was a Five Star match because AmDrag/Cage got four stars and that was twice as good as the AmDrag match. (Nurse finishes checking my vitals. Annnd THEY'RE GOOD!) This Thatcher match was great because it ALL starts with Thatcher trying to make it easier for MJF in the Ironman Match then it morphs into a Thatcher going for the Fujiwara Armbar and AmDrag trying to figure out away win. You know, professional wrestling. That was great! KONOSUKE TAKESHITA stops MJF from wrecking AmDrag! NEW MATCH FOR NEXT WEEK! AWESOME! BRYAN DANIELSON VS RUSH NEXT WEEK! THAT should be very violent. I imagine Jade Cargill crushes Red Velvet like a bug. Red does get in some stuff and lays it in so it's pretty good. Jade beats on Red during picture in picture so Red Velvet gets a second comeback? Eh, a little one! Kiera Hogan shows up! RED VELVET with the VISUAL PIN! That was waaaay better than what I thought it was going to be. WILD! And here we are, IT's our main event. I assuming there will be some booking in this. Darby is fucking AWESOME, killing himself hitting a Tope on Joe who is holding up a table. Darby Allin continues to be Cactus Jack and I'm trying to figure out where Joe got busted open. Joe goes total VADER. JESUS, Joe just throws Allin to the floor. MUSCLE BUSTER on the exposed ring! NEW CHAMPION! Darby Allin is so fucking great. Postmatch, WARDLOW beats on SECURITY! That was a LOT of pro wrestling! AEW TRULY RULES THE MOTHERFUKCIN WORLD!

We are gathered here today to mourn A man who made six figures for working one date a year around the horn. It was brother Randy who was the fan's pick. A universal seal of approval to whom everyone gave a tick. But could he too suck his own...

The thumbtack spot with Captain Crunch would be no fucking joke though

wow a little bit of everything! Mox v Hangman was some hardnosed stuff! I guess Hangman isn't being heated for a feud with MJF? My Four Sons, Starring Daddy Ass! Ass Boys do have a win over former champs FTR... Dragon v Thatcher was exactly the type of wrestling I want to watch on my TV (I feel like I say that every week) I really hope they don't turn Ruby, good eye for spoting that The Bunny may have been paid off to distract The Hoss. I still think eliminator matches are a stupid gimmick Main got uncomfortable at times, Darby is an absolute madman for taking the move that ended Tyson Kidd's career one the exposed ring boards

*in my best Norm voice* " After the success of his Power Slap League Dana White has announced his next venture: Professional Knife Fighting."

Don't worry, they'll change up the dynamic by giving a short reign to Jarrett.

If Darby wasn't a pro wrestler, he'd be wrecking his body in other ways. I hope he can live a long and healthy pain-free life, but I'm also glad he chose to entertain us through pro wrestling.

I think you bring up a great point about the Monday Night Wars. If there's no ECW as we know it, Vince never gets the push he needs to go Attitude. We can talk about the stars that made the WWF win happen, and that's valid, but it was also the change in presentation. That was the time of South Park, Girls Gone Wild, etc. A ton of the reason WWF became "cool" around that time was that it was riding that wave. I'm not sure that happens without Heyman doing it first (on a smaller scale) and showing Vince that wrestling fans would be into it.

That was a fun show as usual. Page and Mox brought it. I thought they would go to a draw (that is a booking option Tony never uses anymore), but Mox got the surprise win. The Acclaimed are the hottest act in the company so it would be stupid to mess with them in anyway. Billy Gunn of all people is having a successful third act of his career. They would be stupid to do anything to ruin that. Takeshita vs. Cage was a good match. I was surprised that Cage lost. I figured he would win in some devious way. Bryan vs. Thatcher was a good match. I hope Thatcher sticks around. Perhaps for the new ROH. He and Claudio could have some good matches. But this one was good as I said. I liked the story that was told with Bryan's shoulder. I love that it set up Takeshita coming out to save Bryan from MJF and it led to a fun pull apart brawl in the back. MJF vs. Takeshita should be a good one next week. The Jade/Velvet match was meh to be honest. I like Velvet, but no one believed she had a chance of beating Jade. They need to up the competition with Jade. Give her Yuka Sakazaki or Riho. It's getting old fast with Jade running through everyone. I wonder if this is the internet felt about Goldberg mid streak. I honestly can't remember. Joe vs. Darby was a car wreck in every sense I thought it would be. It sucks they put a stip saying neither man could challenge for the title if they lost, because I could see Joe and Darby continuing this war. The first table spot where Darby hit it like a pinball and busted Joe open the hardway was sick. Joe had a bunch of nope moments in the match where Darby paid a price. Overall a fun match and good to see Wardlow back. I guess they're gonna build up to the PPV with them so Wardlow gets his revenge.

Does the MNW even happen if there's not a significant third promotion for most of these guys? Does Austin end up on the radar without the ECW stint? Does Foley continue working Japan/money mark independents instead? Does WCW have the roster to justify the second hour of Nitro without Benoit/Guerrero/Malenko/Jericho/Rey/Psicosis being as well known as they were? Is there that much of a counter-culture that actively protests against the Hogan superhero babyface that warrants the need for Hogan to turn heel?

This is a bad take. No disrespect meant, but Joe is not washed / injury prone. He's been in AEW for almost a year now. He's only taken time off for movie projects. He's had a lot of high end, high impact matches. And he's looked great in my opinion. This is one of those instances where the way AEW books plays to certain talent's strengths. Joe doesn't need to be in 52 TV matches a year. He loses his aura if he's out there doing 50-50 15 minute TV matches every week. It also saves his body. As for the booking, again respectfully disagree. I find it one of the best things they've done. Darby got an awesome moment in his hometown. We got 6 or 7 really awesome TNT Title matches, counting the 2 with Joe. It got Darby back on our screens. It gave Wardlow time to heal up. It gave the him & Joe story time to breathe. It gave Joe a reason to get a mean streak and level up a notch. Now when Wardlow beats him at the ppv for it (if that's the way they go), he is better off than he was when Joe initially won the title. It's booking that made everyone involved better off. Darby may have lost the title, but his character can't be an underdog if he never loses. Not everyone can nor should be booked like Super Cena. It's perfectly within the bonds of that character for his body to give out from accumulated damage from all his psycho stunts. He loses nothing losing it back to Joe. And finally, the world title is always going to have long reigns (by way of the title being defended so rarely). It makes total sense to have a secondary title contrast that by changing a lot, because it's defended a lot more.

I was busy watching Infinity Pool last night and came home completely bewildered and not even thinking about Dynamite, so I came back to it tonight. It's a real hard vote: which is the best match between Page/Mox, Danielson/Thatcher or Joe/Allin? Everything else did its job (I really liked the ladies' stuff getting set up and Jade getting a win in front of her kid) but these two were some heavy meat for a card. My nod is probably Page/Mox. The only thing I disliked was the AVALANCHE~! Death Valley Driver which after seeing it once again should DEFINITELY be a pinfall victory. Everything else -- the avoidance of typical offense by Moxley, the lack of bomb-throwing in favor of brawling, the plain no-bullshitness of it -- was great. Bryan/Timmy was great in its own way. This one felt like Hanson coming into your territory and beating/stretching the shit out of your babyface champ... Rick Martel, I suppose? Thatcher would be great as a hired gun in the future, like Nick Gage, the horror movie villain that you didn't expect showing up to fuck you up. Or to provide another analogy, the miniboss that is hard as hell to beat to get to the main boss. ...and to bring up video games again, Cage/Takeshita was your standard video game wrestling match between two slabs of beef with move skills. The MJF match will be better. Christ, am I about to forget Joe and Darby?! That was nuts. Joe has incredible presence, more than just about anyone working right now. Darby backed it up with the madness that wracks his brain and he pushes into his matches. Joe and Mox need to have a backstage contest as to "Who Did The Best Dusty Bladejob?"

Heavy is the shoulder that wears the backpack.

I'd love if somehow Kris Statlander ended up on 90 Day Fiance, but instead of dealing with the cultural differences between an American and say, a Filipino, its between human and alien.

Brian Cage was a really great Brock analog when he worked Darby at the Evolve show I saw with Ray in 2016. 90% of the match was Cage nuking the little feller, including the finish where he just yeeted Darby 10 feet from the ring to the stage for a countout. Awe-inspiring, especially in a little room like La Boom.

Darby/Joe was wild. The dive in to the table busting Joe open looked brutal. Could've gone either way since Darby was having an awesome reign but Joe reclaiming his King of Television spot is also welcome. Moxley/Hangman III also an epic battle. Loved Moxley's father just being a badass and doing the entrance with him. nice small package driver by Hangman, dug the finish. Takeshita/Cage was fun, plus a nice setup for Takeshita/MJF. Next weeks super stacked with lots of stuff announced. Jade's recent crazy strength spots leading into the finish have been great. Good show.

Dark Order, don't give up, YUKA SAID YES. I really hope they revisit this soon! S.A.P. continue to be the best thing(s) about Dark/Dark Elevation.

At least Starks’ challenge isn’t “beat one member of the JAS every week”. It’s all happening in one match next Wednesday. I’d hesitate to even call Danielson’s thing a “gauntlet”, what Ricky Starks is doing is the classic gauntlet match. But I get what you’re saying, even if semantics make it a little different.

If they do house shows in Tennessee close to me IE not fuckin Nashville, I’ll totally go. I know there’s like one or two people on this board that live pretty close to me too.

Hook Darby vs Joe straight into my veins

Samoa Joe vs Necro Herbivore was nuts!

I personally like how much of a wild card the TNT title is, given how most reigns are on the long-ish side these days. Wow, that sounds like I’m harkening back to the Russo days and I’m definitely not, but knowing the champ can drop it in any given defense is exciting

It's the second month of January, January Two.

I wouldn’t say that. Romo making the playoffs far more often as an analyst.

Lego land deathmatch would be a career shortening spectacle

I'm looking forward to Bryan Danielson vs. Rush but have to admit it feels a tad anticlimactic for Danielson's final opponent to beat to get MJF for the AEW World Championship at AEW Revolution 2023.

I seem to remember a Darby/Walter match that was along those lines, too. Was that Evolve?

Jericho (And LONCE) probably get sent to WWF from SMW along with all the job guys with jobs (and probably end up back in Japan). Benoit has a WWF tryout around 93... maybe he gets picked up Maybe if Heyman goes to WWF gets vinces ear he gets Taz the Supreme Fighting Machine gimmick

If I had a wrestling time machine, I would book Darby Allin vs. 2003 Brock Lesnar so fast. Great show all around. I think Mox brings the best out of Hangman who is better as a gritty fighter than epic match guy. Danielson/Thatcher was great, hopefully they can go again without having to work around storyline injuries. Jade had her best match. Red Velvet is a great opponent for Jade to make her offense look devastating, and Jade seems to be getting a lot better at all the in between stuff too. I can't wait for full on babyface Britt and Jamie. Also I'll probably tune into to Rampage just to watch heel Saraya and Toni kill some jobbers. Ruby being in the "Christian during the Main Event Mafia vs. Frontline feud" role is interesting. What else can be said about Joe/Darby? Other than Mick Foley, who has ever been better at making everyone they step in the ring with look more violent through complete disregard for their own body? I mean Joe has an impressive body of violent work, but Darby has him looking like he hasn't lost a step since 2005.

Yeah, my reasoning is I hate driving in Nashville lol. I’m more comfortable and familiar with Murfreesboro. I understand live TV and PPVs being in Nashville, Memphis, etc but house shows should be in “smaller” areas IMO. WCW and WWF both used to run Murfreesboro at the Murphy Center in the early 90s. Not the Murphy Center, but I saw GZA at MTSU in like… 2010, I think? No clue if they still book anything cool, but it’s not unheard of!

I called this a while ago when Wardlow had first lost, he had to recoup from the haircut and get his vengeance. (Darby loses, cue Wardlow's music, Wardlow shows up with new haircut) "I TOLD YOU!"

Jeff Jarrett probably immediately called about open dates at the Fairgrounds for AEW House Shows. Wonder how many colleges would be willing to book out an arena for a show or if that would be a financial pain in the ass?

The Nutter Center is in a Dayton suburb already (Fairborn, OH) in the vicinity of Wright-Patterson AFB. But it's sorta like Hara Arena was in Trotwood and not Dayton before Hara was condemned and knocked down. Troy isn't exactly a suburb of Dayton but it's close (neither Fairborn or Troy are in the same county as Dayton, but there's a certain amount of Greene County, Ohio that's right next to Montgomery County). The AEW show is the only event listed at Hobart Arena between the Lego League Championship (March 11th-12th) and Travis Tritt (March 30th). I wonder how many AEW House Shows will double as "certain talent gets to promote shows in their local area" events. So if AEW runs a sold show in Xenia in May at the Dayton Hamvention, then maybe Mox is promoting towns now. Anyways, they're running closeish to Dayton on the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. The First Four is on Tuesday/Wednesday (14th/15th) at UD Arena in Dayton. So I guess if you're picking a Saturday night to go on the road, you start when it's not too cold and before you have to compete for eyeballs with other too many sporting events in the area?

I think the guys who really are fucked are the folks who needed ECW like Douglas who burned every bridge. He probably would have just did wrestling part time until WWF came calling. All the guys who were enhancement talent before ECW like the Pitbulls, Saturn, Mahoney, Devito, Jason, etc. probably become indy journeymen. Guys like Raven, Lynn, and PJ Polaco don't have a place to rehab their career. Public Enemy doesn't fool anyone into giving them contracts.

King of TV. TNT Champion and ROH World Television Champion, Samoa Joe.

Blood before the first commercial break! THAT is how you start a big episode of prowrestling TV! YES!!! OUTRUNNERS!!! I ASKED FOR IT, I GOT IT!!! Takeshita to Cage: "I kneed you." Trios Title matches gonna be fun! BRYAN vs THATCHER! Oh baby! Starting out with a JOHNNY VALENTINE reference sets a pretty high bar! (Which they clear). TAKESOUP vs FRIEDMAN! Good heavens. No time to breathe. Is White Umaga's name "Trench"? Did I hear that correctly? Dragon vs Roosh?!?!?! Yowza. "That sounded a bit longer than 'we have a deal.' " Jade is Claudio-level STRONG. What an INSANE main event! WARDLOW! Dynamite today had enough action, and enough variety, for a PPV. GREAT show!

I also think there's a fair to mid chance they are doing a full on reboot. They just don't want to say that. Especially with The Flash & Shazam not out yet. While yes they say Waller is part of the new canon, notice how they talk about Blue Beetle. If The Flash really "resets" everything, then why are they talking about Blue Beetle in terms of it's great that this didn't have any tie ins and we can just make it part of The New DCU? I think we're getting a hard reboot that just has some characters recast by the same actor. Waller is Viola Davis. But it's not the same Waller we've seen. It's a rebooted one. Just played by the same actor. Like Dare Devil in Marvel. Or Electro in No Way Home. Same actor playing the character, but technically new character. I guess we'll see. My assumption could be wrong. But the tell to me is how they talk about Blue Beetle.

Imagining the WWE recruitment as being a more upbeat version of the scene where Forrest Gump gets recruited into the military immediately out of college. “Congratulations, son. Have you given any thought to your future?“