just drew

Bret: "Yeah, I dug my feet on his coach. Ric could afford another one..."

I could see him entering the Rumble as either 1-2-3 Kid or X-Pac. The nostalgia pop is one of my favorite things about the Rumble...

I’m reasonably sure A_K is AndrewPoe..,

Yeah, the leap in logic from “non wrestler wants to go work with his best friend who stuck by him through multiple bouts of drug addiction AND his son, who is a very promising prospect” to “Tony Khan is a moron and everyone wants to leave” is baffling. Truly breathtaking. AEW doesn’t really have a developmental program. Whether or not they need one is another discussion, but why make a guy do a job he doesn’t want to when the job he wants to do isn’t one your company offers? As far as Mox goes, it wouldn’t shock me if he’s one of the guys who told TK just to let Regal out of his deal. What actual harm can letting a 50+ year old non wrestler go do AEW?

So, have we seen/heard anything that confirms Regal is going back, or are we still just guessing?

There's an ultimate edition up for preorder. Not gonna be cheap.

I've always thought they should try (kayfabe) flipping a coin before every entrant to see which side goes.

The rating just posted & that show didn’t work for a lot of people. MJF doesn’t appear to move the needle.

Do we know for sure that we're losing Regal?

Sounds like a presi- I mean, sounds like a guy I used to know...

Yeah, I've listened to his podcast some too, and I certainly don't get the feeling that he's pining to go back to WWE.

Most folks with sources say it’s only about 3 guys, but you’re not wrong about having to set a standard.

That was my first thought, too. You use a high draft pick on a kid and at some point you have to find out if they can play. If MJF were a professional athlete, his inconsistency would've gotten at least one assistant coach fired by now...

-I dug this opener. Mox and Hanger are two of my top five favorite guys right now (Starks, Jungle Boy, Yuta) so seeing them get to run this back is a pure joy. I feel like AEW doesn't do enough "backstage chaos" segments (good ones, anyway), so Mox & Page brawling in the back was even more fun. -Dax and Danielson did exactly what we all thought; they burned that bitch down. Holy shit was that fun. I saw that Dax said that he and Cash's contracts are up in April. Here's to hoping TK does the smart thing and backs the Brinks truck up to their houses. They have gone from "Hey look, it's those guys from nXt we like" to "how the hell is there ever an AEW show without these guys on it?" -AR Fox is a joy to watch. I saw him numerous times at ACTION Wrestling in my hometown of Tyrone, Ga. He rules and Joe rules. Wardlow/Joe is going to be carnage. -For whatever reason, Hager's obsession with that bucket hat is exactly the brand of horseshit that I love. -This MJF segment is.. something. I think I figured out what my issue with Max is. He burns through material so fast. He's incredibly inefficient with his cheap heat. He could get a reaction with 10-15% of what he does. It also seemed like the crowd was mic'ed funny, as they went from super hot to crickets almost arbitrarily. I do think TK has a problem on his hands, and AEW can't afford to hemorrhage viewers while MJF cosplays Papa H. The easiest solution would be to have Mox whip his ass at the next PPV, but I have a feeling all this is gonna take some serious course correction. I don't see how TK can let Regal leave while saying "no" to Malakai, Buddy and Andrade. Someone said it earlier, but when you compare MJF to someone like Christian, and it becomes very easy to see how valuable tv experience is. I'd seriously consider having Christian and Luchasaurus (probably unmasked and retooled) join MJF. He'd benefit so much from having a polished tv presence with him every week. -Ricky Starks, again, is everything guys like MJF wish they were; effortlessly believable and cool. I'd think long and hard about Starks taking the title off of MJF. There's too many guys who would do well as champ in AEW to let MJF do this "2024" schtick forever and ever. Also, Stokely is awesome and Ethan Page has really plateaued. I think he's a super talented guy, but this intense heel thing is not in his wheelhouse. He comes off so likable in his vlogs that I think he should just embrace it fully. -Willow Nightingale is one of the rarest things in pro wrestling; a naturally likable babyface that gets the reaction she's trying to. She's really great and TK was smart to lock her down when he did. I think her signing, along with Bandido's, RUSH's, and AR Fox's, is signaling a return to what AEW was doing really well; highlighting the best indy talent in the world while building their show around select stars. Anna JAS has regressed, and as I said before, I think working a few house shows a month would do wonders for her, if she can stay healthy. Ruby is a sentimental favorite and I was very happy to see her return. I thought her booking was pretty poor before her injury and I hope they've figured out something for her to do. I'd love to see a title reign in her future. -God am I tired of hearing Britt Baker talk. -Jade Cargill is a star. She has the "IT factor" by the bucketload. She is exactly who she says she is and who TK is portraying her on tv. Having said that, I think she would really benefit from having a "hype man" type around her. Someone to say all the standard wrestling things, freeing up Jade to talk about how awesome she is. Very, very happy to see Red Velvet. We'll say it's because I missed her ring work. It's not true, but we'll say that's why. -Am I.... enjoyin this best of 7 series? Yes. Yes I think I am. The Elite entrance is super cool with the "Carry On Wayward Son," and I'm impressed that they managed to offer a completely different match structure here. I'm still not convinced doing that 4 more times is smart, and I'm glad they're taking a week off, but Nicholas, Matthew, and Kenjamin are SO much more palatable to me when they aren't the focal point of every show. I still wonder how much having the show built around those guys hindered AEW's growth during that period. Anyway, really good shit here. All in all, this show has been like every AEW show the last month or so; some good, some bad. I'd be very tempted to build around Hangman and Mox for the foreseeable future, but I understand why Tony feels like he has to find out what he has with MJF before committing to him long-term. It's smart from a sports perspective and a business perspective. However, he cannot be as shy about course correcting as he has been in the past. I'm looking forward to watching the next phase in Ricky Starks' development, and hope this is just the start for guys like him and Jungle Boy and so much of AEW's young talent.

One of the Ass Boys (Rod, I think) basically worked himself into a shoot over something Jungle Boy said and accused Boy of getting pushed because he hangs out with Tony Khan. I don't think either Ass Boy has much of a leg to stand on when it pertains to "only getting a spot because of who they know..."

Anna Jay is smack dab at the top of the list of "folks who will benefit from Double J Double MMA running AEW house shows." She needs to be working way more often than she is. She's a gifted athlete with a good look but damn was that not great.

Fwiw, it sounds like the nba is way up from last year, and this rating is up from last years thanksgiving eve. Just keep doing your show. It feels like wwe has slowed their momentum a bit.

It's a poster here. But that person being Bruce Prichard would explain a lot...

I heard she was so fat her belt size was equator...

No one. I should probably let it go. I can't leave things be sometimes.

1000% this. As someone who was square ass in the middle of WWE's target demographic during that time, Road Dogg was over as hell. It wasn't just the catchphrase. Dude could cut a promo. I'd dare say after Austin, Rock, and Foley, he might've been the most dynamic promo in the company for a time. I don't recall him being an overtly bad worker, either. He just didn't do a whole lot other than the "shake rattle & roll" punches, the pump-handle slam, and a few other generic things. Guy was a) pretty pilled up at that point and b) smart enough to know what got him there.

-Man, in nXt and later on main roster WWE, FTR used to drive me up the goddamned wall with their "LOOK AT US HOLD THE TAG ROPE TAG TEAM WRASSLIN'" schtick, but they have been an absolute revelation in AEW. I'd love to see these two teams get another, longer encounter on a bigger stage. -I'm a big fan of how AEW handles their JTTS guys. Anthony Henry and JD Drake are guys you absolutely want around to make your stars look great. Darby needs something to do. -I liked the Toni Storm interview and the Athena/Mercedes angle after. That's got a chance to be a real sleeper banger on the ROH ppv. -Hikaru Shida has never done much for me, but she looked really good here and I'm a big fan of Penelope Ford & Allie, so hopefully this will lead to something. Maybe Ruby Soho's return? -The Claudio/JAS thing was a thing. If I had to guess, Claudio will lose, be a reluctant part of the JAS, and Yutes will have to beat Jericho to free his buddy. Also, the same dingus from Connecticut I mentioned in the Dynamite thread who slandered American Hero Jake Hager also had the audacity to besmirch Wheeler Yuta. Yuta's rise to prominence has been one of the brightest spots in AEW this year and I'm hoping he gets involved with this thing. -Man, this main event. Preston Vance has a quality to him that I think is worth exploring on a bigger scale, and the DO took their beatings like men. What would suck is Reynolds & Silver having to continue on with no real aim like McGillicutty and Otunga after the Nexus split up. I thought those guys had some potential as a tag and they were never given much. Silver is mega-over and Reynolds is cool with me on account that he answers the question "what if Chris d'Elia got on the gas for six months straight?" In the short term, I got the feeling TK wanted Hanger and RUSH to do more together, so this might be a way for Hangman Page to come back; team with his DO buddies one more time to help them get revenge. They can say goodbye to the Dark Order gimmick in style. I liked this show a ton. I hope this is the beginning of some re-focus on Rampage.

I'm not gonna go segment by segment like I do sometimes, but I did have some thoughts. -That opening segment was prime soap opera pro wrestling. The subtext I applied is that Regal did so much for Mox in his career that Mox won't just flat out kill him, but isn't gonna let him get away with it either. The "leave and don't come back" trope is one of my favorite Western movie deals. Thought Danielson was really great here too. -I came to a realization this past week; I don't hate Matthew, Nicholas, and Kenjamin nearly as much when they're compartmentalized into their own little part of the show. I fucking HATED that interminable run on top they had where they were allowed to undercut more over acts and generally self-aggrandize on a weekly basis on tv, but this trios shit isn't too bad. Also, my favorite of all the trolling they did of Punk was the blowing of the Buckshot Lariat, because I know deep down it absolutely bodies Phil that he couldn't do a fairly simple move that a supposedly inferior wrestler can. That's the kind of shit that keeps narcissists awake at night. All six guys kicked ass here. -HOUSE OF BLACK, BITCHES! Love these dudes. I hope everyone's feeling tip-top emotionally and physically and we can get a proper run on top from these guys. Malakai would be my guy to take the title off the guy who takes it off MJF. Just start lining shit up. -Some good women's content this week. Toni Storm is a goddamn star. -Rick Starks is going to be "THE guy." -Last week some idiot in Connecticut went out of his way to jump on Beyonce's internet, log onto this message board, and slander the good goddamn name of Jake Hager. I can't think of a more self-aware, "I know why I'm here" presence on the roster than The All American American. Dude has taken a throwaway, one-off gag about a bucket hat and made it entertaining. It rules and so does he. -Main event was super fun. Jericho continues to be on one.

RIP in peace to Alex Reynolds.

There’s your problem right there…