For Great Justice

I think there’s a good several months at least in the “Hangman slums it with Dark Order but by doing so builds himself back up and his leadership helps Silver and Reynolds win the tag titles” arc, before he takes that newfound confidence on a course for Omega.

Yeah I think this was the first Priest match I’ve ever seen where he really impressed me.

Pat Mcafee is pro wrestling as fuck NXT women’s division is incredible. What they’ve done to rebuild it after the major names all left a few years ago is spectacular.

Like the idea of Angle coming in for a more fitting retirement match. I'd wait a couple months as you don't want to combine that with the Sting reveal, but the idea of something like Angle/Omega as a Dynamite main event / Angle-centric episode would be welcome. Not unlike Lawler/Miz in Memphis that one time, obvious with a more wrestling vs. garbage-centric approach to the actual match. AEW doesn't really have a younger "wrestling machine" gimmicked guy if you wanted to go "pass the torch" and not "dream match" for this, unless I'm just blanking. Makes me think that if Gable or Drew Gulak get let go they'd be good signs.

CD tops the list and is the first up in this thread of guys I'd take off television immediately. The sunglasses and microphone bit are the lamest in the company. He seems good at talent relations, let him do that. Catching up on a few people: Brian Cage - I was also going to suggest putting him under a hood. He's got crazy athleticism for a body guy and some decent snap on his power stuff, but its just his face and the sideburns that just don't work and take me out of the presentation. A full time tag team with Hobbs is another option, as that division could use a power team. Brodie Lee - I was middling on Lee until his character broke out on BTE. Great in-ring guy obviously, with elite feel and timing. Like Archer, he's in his 40's now so I don't think a top level run is in the cards, but man he makes me wish AEW ran house shows because doing a loop with Wardlow or Hobbs could help those guys so much. Lee adds value in many ways and I'm a fan. Brandi - Not much to add that hasn't already been said. Real life stuff is all great, wonderful ambassador, great personality that you want to listen to, love the cooking show. On-show stuff has been the worst in AEW's existence outside of the Cody strap segment. Keep doing what you're doing for the company, but dial back the on screen role. Britt Baker - Is it weird that the Britt/Tony dynamic might be my favorite wrestling relationship of 2020? It's legitimately layered, good and hilarious. Britt reminds me of Alexa Bliss where the character stuff is way ahead of the in-ring. Alexa never got to an elite level in ring (and didn't have to), and I think Britt has more upside there, even she's a bit less of a natural on the mic (but still good).

So several business indicators (YouTube video at 7-8x normal levels, best selling t shirt in 24 hours on PWT) are up thanks to the Stinger. Wonder how they play it next week to take advantage of it and try to retain some of that interest. I would NOT put him in the ring with Taz. That would have TNA retread stink all over it. But Sting doing a minute or two on how its great to be home, then starting the deal where he warns Darby not to trust the Nightmare Family, before he gets interrupted by Ricky Starks would work. The only guys that share the ring with Sting next week should be AEW originals.

I absolutely adore the idea of Hangman sinking to the low of falling into the Dark Order, yet that becoming the place wherein he learns true leadership ability. This isn't unlike every kids sports movie ever where the hot shot coach/executive/businessman falls on hard times and takes over coaching a rag tag bunch of middle school basketball players, before learning to lead, getting his personal shit sorted, and winning the big one in the end (in this case with Hangman Austin/Alliance'ing his ass to the AEW title) Sign me up.

All true, but to give them props on something, step one would also explain why Kenny kept inexplicably taking the match to the floor starting from the very beginning.

My day after thought is that I haven’t left a wresting TV show feeling that buzzed and interested in a cliffhanger since Nexus 10 years ago. Also loved Kingston jumping on commentary sight unseen to call out Archer, which just added to that sense of chaos and “what the hell is happening” in the last 5 minutes.

Oh shit they could create the Austin vs Alliance moment shot for shot with Hangman. That needs a 100% live crowd, but yeah that’d be the crowning

I also like that they put Callis on commentary for the PPV match a few weeks before this, to ensure that you didn’t pick up the scent tonight. The little things.

If I have the book, I tell you what I’m doing with this. Sure I’m leading to Omega vs. Mox 2 at Double or Nothing in the bigass AEW/Impact blowoff, but I’m ending that shit like that proposed ending to Freddy vs Jason where Pinhead showed up. Lights out and, no, not NJPW, but motherfucking Matanza Cueto and Dario are wrecking fools to close the show.

Don't say I didn't call this a few weeks ago brother. This all ties back to the undead realm, the Dark Order, and Brodie Lee shooting John E. Bravo 'The Justice Knows...'

I love this potential AEW / Impact working relationship. I'm always skeptical of how invasions get booked so I'll tread lightly on this specific story, but as a talent exchange, Impact could use support from AEW's abundance of tag teams and hosses, while AEW could REALLY use the help of Impact's women. So are we on our way to AEW as basically WCW/NWO: World Tour, with AEW, Impact, NWA and NJPW as factions on the player select screen or what. I'm totally down with this so long as someone is Powder Keg or Saladin.

Tony completely marking out over Sting put the biggest shit eating grin on my face. That was so, so good. Maybe my favorite thing all year.

Jon Moxley went through perhaps the best rogues gallery in a single year, that I can think of, for a top babyface of a major American promotion in the past 20 years. Cobb, Jericho, Hager, Lee, Cage, Archer, MJF, Kingston With maybe the MJF match being the only miss.

Cutler is fine to me as the "DM" / host of BTE and undercard guy on Dark. He's an easy foil for heels picking on him and is relatable enough to me that I don't actively want to see him off my TV when he's on it or anything. Compare this with say, Shawn Spears, who just needs to go away. Cutler is basically Yeah Yeah from the Sandlot, and that's okay. Also Cutler/Avalon was a top tier Dark match this year and I marked out for the 10 sided dice thumbtack spot.

Shared it in the photo thread, but Billie Kay had a shoot resume on the paper that is funny as shit. Her on commentary is a perfect thing I didn’t realize I wanted until right now.

This is tremendous

Theoretically, if AEW alllowed Mox, Omega and/or Jericho to work the NJPW 1/4-1/5 shows, what one import would you want back in return for Revolution? I don't have a clear cut answer yet, but I do know neither Hangman nor Okada are doing much right now and that would kick ass. Not the biggest box office option, but a match I'd love to see.

Anna Jay has a lot of the tools you can't teach. She's athletic, beautiful and has a strong physical charisma about her (even if she isn't a good talker yet). She's still at probably, what, less than 20 professional matches? My only worry long term is getting her those reps, as she needs to be in the ring a couple of times a week somehow. And I think by her 100th match she'll be really good (while already being completely respectable). She's got as much or more upside than all but maybe 8-10 names we're going to talk about in this thread. Austin Gunn- Just a Guy. Minimal opportunities but hasn't shown much. Not even Curt Axel upside yet. Maybe there's some babyface fire in there? Bowens - Has looked great on Dark. Early days but there's something there. Awesome King - I presume retired.

The otherwise supremely talented blue chip prospect Ricky Starks does this. It makes me want to reach through the television screen, pull him aside and tell him that this is not the way. I’m not even sure who the worst offender in WWE is here, they are all so bad. For me, the robotic entrance does the opposite of the intended effect and takes me OUT OF the presentation, rather than adding to it.

All of this. It's about the execution, not the idea. Don't shoot for Mulholland Dr and give me Southland Tales.

This is a great thread idea that I’ll definitely actively partake in! Part of the really interesting thing about doing an AEW roster review is how they rotate through the talent, where you might see a given name on this list either wrestling or on the show in general once a month. It’s an approach that takes some getting used to after the overexposure you see multiple times per week in other promotions, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing necessarily. It will make this a tricky exercise for some names, though. Abadon - good example of the above. Every roster needs an Abadon and she’s good in the role, successfully coming across as terrifying and not hokey. What’s her ceiling though? We really don’t know because of the lack of exposure or development for the character. Clearly there’s a ton of potential here. But jury largely still out (which is totally okay as in baseball terms she still has prospect status). 5 - Just A Guy. Reynolds - I’m a fan, but I don’t know how much of this is Reynolds himself or due to tagging with Silver. Silver, to me, is the best hot tag in America right now and might have the best “go go go” offensive flurry sequences on TV. So any partner of his will likely be seen as really good in my eyes. Could they upgrade from Reynolds in that spot? Yeah I think they could, but he’s fine. Allie - I like the look and attention to detail in the BBB act (more on then later I’m sure) and she’s fine there, but in an inoffensive valet way. Like a lot of things Brandi has been a part of, the Nightmare Family stuff was terrible and I’m glad we’re past that.

Lots of time to discuss next week but I really hope the play isn’t the rumored/discussed KENTA interference leading to an Omega win. There just isn’t enough juice in KENTA as a guy on Mox’s level on this or any other continent for that to be how Mox’s reign ends. IMO the only way you run the attacker interference title change angle is if you signed Brock or Batista or some shit. KENTA ain’t it.