Just Dave

I am a wrestling fan today because I found Bret Hart/123 Kid on tv while flipping through channels at my grandmas house. That Hanger/Dante match gave me that same vibe. Not as long but a comparable story.

Wasn't Hammerstone his bodyguard in MLW?

Good God did that rule. The preshow was the best episode of Rampage in months. Kingston/Jericho was fire. It’s crazy how good Jericho is when he gives a shit. Kingston is stupid over. Just ridiculous. Well deserved. Not even the Jacksons could ruin this for me. That match kicked ass. Luchasaurus, for all his faults, is a phenomenal hot tag. Just awesome. Right team won. Ladder match was nuts. Absolute insanity. Ricky Starks has every tool one needs. That guy needs a title run this year. Wardlow is box office. Both young women tried really hard in that TBS title match. They have a better match in them. Dog collar match was a bit long, but was the best in ring story anyones told in a long while. I thought the other womens match wasn’t great. It’s time to get the belt off Britt. Mox/Danielson was glorious violence. William Regal coming out after like a disappointed vice principal was breathtaking. I loved it. Adam Page is a star.

I'm hoping Redbeard sticks around. He showed shocking mobility for a man his size. They could use more hosses. Him and Brody King literally bumpin' meat popped me pretty hard.

I mean, I like Booker T, but that feels like a pretty big downgrade.

Man. Cody's been taken off the books for 'Mania. There's word coming out that Steve Austin hasn't agreed to come back. I can't think of any other Texans to plug in that spot of Kevin Owens talking shit about Texas.

I fully expect Redbeard to turn on the other two and join House of Black.

The fabled and deadly "Purple Nurple"....

The guy who didn’t wear no mouthpiece…

Listen, right now the "90 day no compete" is the biggest heel in wrestling. Why not use it?

Preston Vance is a "Cody guy." Had several appearances on the reality show. Wouldn't shock me if they were attempting to keep him happy. Plus, you can't have too many guys with his size around...

It’d be pretty dope if MJF fires Wardlow and enforces a 90-day “no compete.” Then you could show footage of Wardog just murking Indy guys at local shows for three months til the crowd is frothing at the mouth for him to get his hands on MJF. Maybe MJF gets Smart Mark involved to look for ways to keep Wardlow out of AEW, until Wardlow powerbombs Sterling through the crust of the earth. Wardlow finally gets his hands on MJF. Maybe the rest of the Pinnacle guys don’t get involved bc they don’t want any of Wardlow. It’s glorious murder. Wardlow is off to the races.

He’s also tweeted about “putting the egos & politics aside” while stumping for a young bucks rematch. But I guess the Jackson’s aren’t interested if they can’t go over/make FTR look like idiots, so….

Gotta be known for something I guess...

On to the actual show. Everything about that opener ruled. Bryan Danielson might be the best television wrestler alive. Props to Christopher Daniels for rising to the occasion. Also, one day I hope to be as excited about anything (besides a clean Young Bucks loss) as Uncle Tony is about the professional wrestling. The Moxley promo after was aces, too. As an aside, he's inspired me to quit drinking, and I feel as much better as he looks like he does. I like tag team wrestling. I like battle royals. Top Flight was really great. But holy shit do P&P, FTR, and Best Friends deserve better than to be vessels for this interminable shit with Adam Cole and his lumpy friends. Again, the instinct to build your show around guys you beat into the dirt when they were on the other channel is beyond my comprehension. Particularly when there is nothing remotely interesting about O'Reilly and Fish. Can't wait to watch the jacksons and red dragon overshadow one of the company's brightest young stars with their self-indulgent nonsense. Hopefully they do the thing where they cost each other the win, but I won't make the mistake of underestimating the jackson's desire to constantly remind the audience that there is one tag team in AEW that matters. That postmatch thing where Jurassic Express came out was interesting, because Jungle Boy had a look of genuine concern on his face. Either he was doing a great acting job or he was trying to remember whether or not Cody took that golden shovel with him. He better pray Cody did, or there's a good chance he'll be on the receiving end of it. Metaphorically. What makes it even worse is that this show also had this absolutely flawless MJF/Punk segment. Good god was that everything that is right about pro wrestling. Perfectly paced, pitched, and delivered. It feels like they're trying to make MJF more vicious, and CM Punk is the right guy for that. This feels to me like they're getting MJF ready for Hangman. If that's the case, they're doing it properly. How can you have the agile booking mind to lay that out and then also allow the Jacksons to do what they do every time folks start to get interested in other tag teams? The women's stuff didn't hold my attention. I'm at the saturation point with Britt Baker. She's done an admirable job with the women's belt, but it's time to move on for a while and let her and Jamie Hayter do the female version of what Wardlow and MJF is gonna be. Also, Wardlow is going to be a STAR. If he isn't already. Extend that dude now. The main event was fine. Adam Cole is undeniably over, but I can't figure out why. It must be because he comes off as a good dude in interviews and on twitch, because for the life of me I can't pinpoint a single thing he does better than good. I hope when I qualify for social security I look as good as Bobby Fish does. Revolution is a great show on paper. I'm cautiously optimistic that TK will have the good sense to keep the belts off the guys who led the other show straight into the ground. Or the Jacksons. I'm excited for the show. Truly. On it's worst day AEW fulfills my thirst for pro wrestling a thousand times better than WWE has in years. I just want it to be even better. Oh, and I'm not gonna "say the thing" anymore because the short guys on this board get offended by the phrase "vanilla midget." I'm kidding. Mostly.

Lord forbid the Jacksons put anyone over. Smh. You could tell the same story with them being jealous of red dragon for qualifying while they didn’t and then costing them the match, but no. If there’s a high profile tag match on ppv, the Jacksons will be there to smear their incessant bullshit all over it….

Yes, which is why that match would rule ass...

Shit, they should sign Jeff Cobb, too. I was in the building for Cobb's lone AEW match and I was enthralled.

Oh, I know, I'm just refusing to acknowledge the attempt to disparage Nikki Cross...

My dad recognized Nash from "the Longest Yard" remake when I was watching the Kliq documentary a few weeks ago. Popped me pretty hard.

I know Samoa Joe's old but he could still help...

I always talk about that list TK has to have in his head of people to sign if they're available. Claudio is right at the top of it. At this point it's him, Island Joseph, Richard O'Shay, and Nikki Cross.

He looks like a Giambi brother. Weirds me out.

I think Murphy went over…

He had absolute bangers with Mustafa Ali & Cedric Alexander on 205 Live. He had a star maker with Bryan right after his Smackdown callup, too.