Octopus

This is worth mentioning! I’ve always been impressed with this about AEW. Although I’m not huge on the amount of belts we regularly see from other companies, it is very cool that AEW is very much in the Wrestling Universe and actively referenced rivalries and wrestlers from other companies. Kingston vs Shibata being King’s Road vs Strong Style was cool as hell. Seeing AAA stuff and now CMLL stuff is wild. New Japan guys like Ospreay and Sabre jr is very very cool. The Suzuki pops still make me so happy. AEW is a beautiful thing.

I watched it twice in a row. Once to experience it, once to write about. Then after writing about it I watch it a third time before falling asleep. A week later it held up and I’ll likely put it on again today just to make sure I feel the same way before waiting another month or so. I’ve rambled in this, but I just love struggle in wrestling. The feeling of everything being visually earned. I usually use that for like Daisuke Sekimoto slowly grappling someone or a stiff strike fest, but it worked so well here. There wasn’t anything taken for granted or going through the motions. The match itself was such gamesmanship. The first half being about proving themselves as better and then it became about winning. ZSJ is such a prick lol. Very much a chess match and surprisingly Mox laid out the strategies so well! I don’t blame you for wanting it once. I did the opposite though, lol Yes, a New Japan rematch would be great. That Regalplex popped me huge! MOTY for me too. Which is a surprise because I really loved the MJF IronMan match, but this one was better.

Eh, everyone sucks and I hate us all. If anyone needs me I’ll be watching NOAH and Big Japan. And by that I mean I’ll still be here and wanting you all to like me.

I hope we get a parody team called DoucheX involving Stu Grayson as Horrendous Hairy Hemorrhoid and Griff Garrison as the Horrible Booking Kid.

Woof

Ok, I’m done teasing about the Tony tweets. He’s going on about his mom when she was in the hospital and lashing out heavily at spam/ troll accounts. If you still lurk here, I’m sorry for making fun of you. Please stop reading Twitter so heavily as it is really sad now.

I think one of the issues is they go to a really cool market to climax the Hangman Saga but a certain lil Octopus’s due date was pretty close to that, then a year later they go back to the same market and Quake the fuck out of the Lake so hard and so good, then when they go back for the third year we get no announced Quaking and I don’t have another son. What the fuck, Tony.

If only it was Age of Empires 2

I don’t watch NXT or have a Meltzer vote, but if I did I’d got HBK for booker of the year just to see the twitter calamity.

Idk about plane crash but there’s been a few car crashes of an angle.

derpin

As an average everyday sea creature, I do enjoy bait.

Ugh. I’m gonna say it. Danielson vs Sabre jr is maybe my favorite match of all time. I know I know. Normally I’m harder to derp recency bias, but hot dang I’m still really enjoying thinking about and watching this match.

Octo-booker: have her do a two-part interview that is broken up by commercial. During the commercial segment have her yell at assistants and throwing shoes and throwing a fit over getting the wrong grapes etc. Book it Tony!

One Octo-note. It didn’t help Cope’s first match starting with an enraged run to the ring. It works in story and we get a great Christian promo segment, but it killed the potential of a first big entrance. It did not feel special and came across like another moment. It lost a potential at having that big match luster. Cope runs in to fight Christian and is immediately smashed down by Luchasaurus. Which that can bring excitement in wanting a Cope comeback. But the little things caused less anticipated reaction. Speaking of little things, I like the little heel things Swerve does. Moments like going for a pin with both knees on Danielson’s chest. He can play heel so well. Which is ironic for me to say because his unique fluid motions in the ring can be a miss for me. I like that he is one of a kind, but some moves just don’t look good. Maybe Low Ki ruined double stomps for me. Speaking of double stomps, on the PPV, Hangman actually took the Swerve Stomp very well and looked excellent. Or maybe they’re knees? Idk, the legs are bent weird and it’s weird. Speaking of weird, that Toni segment didn’t hit for me. Thanks to @AxB (what up, bud) I watched a different feed so I didn’t know it was picture and picture. Did that make it better for people? I really like the character but at times I feel they ham it up too much. Speaking of ham, fucking Hobbs is a perfect piece of meat that I hope slaps meat with Miro again. He kicked the shot out of Jericho and that was very enticing. Good in Jericho putting Hobbs over huge. Soeaking of Jericho, the Inner Appreciation Station or whatever bullshit is so fucking stupid. I don’t feel sympathy for Jericho being left hanging by his former friends when he dropped them for Don Callis initially. It’s just dumb storytelling. Plus they teased it so many times with Garcia and Sammy, that now it happened in such a dumb way that I actively dislike these segments. A segment now with Callis that was a mega heel against the Elite when the Elite needed a great post-drama angle to turn things around. I got an idea, let’s tie Jericho and the Jeriettes to it to make it better. Speaking of tying, the ending tied a real nice bow on the episode. It felt like an Attitude Era end of Raw wildness. All these storylines weaves together and all this action. Good stuff. I’m excited for Danielson vs Christian and what happens with Christian and Cope. Speaking of being excited, I’m excited for MJF vs Jay White. I think the match will be great and have really enjoyed the MJF title defenses. However, I think the belt stealing is pretty dumb. We’ve seen it enough times with Brodie and Nyla already. Plus, MJF looks silly accepting defeat without reckless taking on too many people. I know, that’s silly. But it really appears that way and I’m not into it. But that’s the interesting thing about this MJF reign. I’m very hot and cold on a lot of it. Speaking of hot and cold, the Adam Cole with goofy friends is ok. I like it and I don’t. I get you have to do segments while they’re hurt and will be quotable fun. But I’m half into it. Doesn’t suit my taste. Speaking of suit, Samoa Joe is cool.

Flex King or whatever is a draw!

Anyone flip back and forth between NXT and AEW? If so, thoughts overall?

Edge is now Cope

Jay is Christian’s kayfabe middle name.

One thing I’d like to add to my post earlier, I really enjoyed that Danielson was the first to taught. A reactive armdrag to lead to their first separation, Danielson is lower while Sabre stands, but it is Dragon that holds up the peace sign. Just like how Zack opens up the strike game that will be his eventual undoing, it is Bryan Danielson that is initially cocky which will backfire when Zack Sabre Jr mockingly kicks and teases an injured American Dragon. Just beautiful stuff!

New Era has classy cigar smoking, suit wearing, classy Samoa Joe, classy though.

I want to start by saying the announcing is fantastic in this match. Jon Moxley really takes the lead by contributing both character/ fighting style insight and successfully shaping a tone to the match by regularly giving the viewers an easy to follow story amongst technical maneuvers in an approachable manner. Mox’s uncontrolled yet cool excitement added to my appreciation of what I was seeing the same way Tony Schiavone did in the first few months of AEW. Nigel McGuiness’s cartoonish praise of villains was endearing. It added color that balanced Mox and gave just enough time to Excalibur to call the occasional move. Nigel also sets up early that Danielson has an injured arm. JR got a couple of good quotes in and Nigel knew how to work with him early and swayed a potential derailment in the entrance. They really hype up early the theme of this match, Who is the best technical wrestler? Excalibur also relates it to the Inoki then of the POV, by relating this contest to Inoki vs Robinson. Great work, fellas. Mox explains it well. Zack is an offensive minded chain-based wrestler that will set a series of traps and Danielson is the better striker, but for technical wrestling is much more reactive and willing to get into holds to work and claw his way to an advantage. Offense vs Defense. That’s exactly what we see. Zack Savre Jr will bait Bryan throughout and although we get numerous parallel moments that add to the richness of the match, Zack often controls the tempo and either succeeds into getting Danielson to use his injured yet stronger arm or gets burned by vicious kicks. You know I loved the grappling exchange that lead to a series of struggling octopus stretch attempts. Their rolling around and pulling at limbs. Everything looks both fluid and earned. Moments like an arm submission pushing into an Indian death lock that is stopped by hacking the neck back which is fought out of all while Danielson is waving his injured hand to get it to cooperate. When Danielson finally gets the submission in tight, Zack simply sweeps Bryan’s injured arm to get him to lose position. Twice this happens. Chess. They need to roll to the next struggle which is Bryan yanking Sabre Jr’s head. Move by move, the moment one gets the upper hand, we see it switch when the other slightly takes a moment to cautiously take their foot off the gas. One wrong move, and they’re done. When they break away from each other, much to Nigel’s glee, Danielson is kneeling and Zack is standing. Tantric Sexual Stuff. Beautiful moment with parallel Romero Specials. First with Zack who gets Danielson in it with a nifty rolling leg takedown. Bryan reverses and spins him into his own Romero Special, only for Zack Sabre Jr to reverse it in the same manner. But instead of the same move Zack targets the now prone right arm. Danielson overcompensates which leads to a bow and arrow attempt but quick roll away counter. Danielson got out of it, but Sabre Jr is once again the only one standing. Now something is different. Zack is limping. Parallel to the break away before, but even with Danielson again on his knees, Zack has shown he’s hurt. Sinister smile by the American Dragon. Even while we get a great shot of momentary fear or acknowledgement from a cocky Zack Sabre Jr, Danielson is smirking while rolling his wrist and rubbing his hurt arm. So far we have established fighting strategies, that they are mostly even through struggle, and both now have a weakness. Bryan stands. Zack Sabre Jr quickly shifts gears to a confident swagger as he circles towards Danielson. Zack knows he needs to go in with a new strategy. He goes towards the arm and is blocked, but manages to push Dragon against the ropes. Aubrey manages to separate the two and we get a classic European Uppercut cheap shot. Zack Sabre Jr throws the first strike. Which I absolutely love and feel is missed in what I’m currently reading about the match. Danielson is the known better striker, but Zack Sabre Jr has changed his game plan to try and goad Bryan to strike. Which will be his eventual downfall but also his excuse. Fantastic heel! The European Uppercut-off is dampened by Bryan using his left arm. Zack is getting a wallop but able to mock it and return another one. Back and forth until he manages to convince Dragon he needs to succeed by using his hurt arm. Danielson has a history of putting himself in harms way for a win, so this is one of the few times this comes off extremely believable. Dragon uses his right arm, gets a few great shots in and is blocked. Bryan goes down. Zack is smarter and was willing to take a few hard shots with the trap in mind. Bend and stomp on that arm!!! Zack bends some arms and some fingers. Zack Sabre Jr has full advantage. That fucking smug look on that fucker face when he’s bending Dragon and walking around the ring while Aubrey checks on Dragon. Even taking the little moments to put his foot on the arm before bending it again. After a vicious finger bending, Aubrey’s body motion is so sullen and just looks worrisome and disgusted. Mox mentions the trials and tribulations of Danielson and how he’s been through so much. Chef’s Kiss, that’s all beautiful. Zack Sabre Jr then mockingly kicks Dragon’s legs to toy with him. The kicks progressively get more and more brutal as Zack strikes the back. Once again, Sabre Jr has sent the first strikes of a match sequence. Parallel to before, but now with kicks. Zack Sabre Jr kicks the American Dragon until he stands. Zack sends an European Uppercut for good measure to send Danielson to the corner. Irish whip, signature flying back flip, reactive reversal to a single leg crab type move on the damaged leg. Zack is pained, but Dragon’s arm is too hurt to sink it in. Bryan thinking quickly attempts another Romero Special. Danielson is too hurt to pull him upwards. Double knee stomp instead. It is now Danielson that is standing and Zack on the ground holding his knees. Both men in pain. Sabre Jr wanting brief mercy but a raged Danielson is now the one kicking Zack. Parallel moment. The kicks to the leg leads to a series of Dragon Screws, one that will be iconically known for its icky viciousness. The third attempt is too choreographed and reversed by Zack Sabre Jr twisting Danielson’s neck with his feet and then drop kicking the back of his head. Both men are down. This tale can be broken up by the moments where they break apart and either both are standing, one is standing, or neither is standing. Every breath taken between struggle is a new chapter we take with these two warriors ripping each other apart. Zack panic run attack is dodged and we get a Tree of Woe strike segment. Nigel does a good job adding strategy by indicating Zack Sabre Jr is leaving his torso exposed to that will be targeted instead of his hurt leg. That game plan works at first but the kicks rise. The rope top tussle is riveting to me. So often it can come across awkward, but these two make this struggle work. Avalanche Butterfly Suplex! Danielson can’t lock in the LeBell Lock and Zack rolls into a triangle attempt but he’s too winded from the top rope slam and is quickly revered to another LeBell attempt. The struggle continues and now the goal is the same submission that Danielson beat Okada with. Nope, but a single leg on the injured leg. Sabre Jr is in pain but can reach the ropes. Zack is on his back and Dragon is on his knees grabbing his arm, facing the other direction. They are more and more withered. The game has changed. Danielson cannot use his arm to submit Zack Sabre Jr. He can’t even transition to a leg based modification when he tapped out Okada with a broken arm! The American Dragon has to resort to Yes Kicks! Zack sees the head kick coming and has the presence of mind to duck, only to be met with a second kick immediately after. This is now a strike based match. Parallel to Zack Sabre Jr mocking Danielson’s with kicks while he was down, Bryan is using this moment to use his signature head stomps. Busaiku Knee attempt is reversed and chain pin attempt but both men are to exhausted to capitalize. Like all of us, Mox is now the one standing up. Signature running drop kick to the corner. A second one, again too choreographed and Zack trips him up with a pin attempt he’s used a few times already, now it is Zack that is too choreographed and we get a near Cattle Mutilation. Rolling reversals end in Zack Sabre Jr putting Danielson in the move Dragon used to put Okada away. Adding the icky finger bending. Danielson fights out and does a modified laying Dragon Screw. Zack wins out on the exchange and we have an odd bent figure four type hold that is ripping apart Danielson. Stare off. Dragon spits. Sabre slaps. Multiple slaps to the face of Bryan. Once again, the strike exchange has opened. Danielson grabs Zack Sabre Jr by the throat and throws a heavy slap. Sabre is down and dazed. Danielson is down and in shock. Interlocked kicking ensues. Danielson is the better striker and gets the better of this exchange. Zack uppercuts the hurt arm. Danielson kicks the hurt leg. Repeat segment. After a series of back and forth, Danielson evades the uppercut and attempts a backslide, but he can’t do it. Zack elbows multiple times. Fight for control, back to back. Elbow to elbow. Zack gets in the backslide! Kick out followed by Sabre Jr punting Danielson’s leg. Zack Sabre Jr performs maybe the second slam in the whole match. Zack puts Dragon in the hood that put down Okada. In the background we see Nigel shoot upwards excited wanting to see a tap. Danielson struggle to get out as now Mox shoots upwards to yell “FUCK THAT GUY” in encouragement! He gets the ropes. Zack stands and Dragon is on his knees. Again. Zack Sabre Jr gives Bryan Yes Kicks of his own. Even gets a shot at the arm too. Sabre goes for a running assault but is met with another kick to the head. More stomps!!!! Almost, Zack gets in an arm bar!!! Finger Bend!!!! Danielson rolls throw and performs a killer Regalplex!!! A dazed Zack Sabre Jr flops around and Danielson finishes him off with another Busaiku Knees!!! NOPE. One more for good measure as Seattle goes wild. Danielson wins. Zack Sabre Jr can claim he wasn’t submitted. Beautiful match. Great development of two evenly matched technicians that can’t submit the other and both resort to strikes throughout. I’m putting this very high on my favorites list already. Third watch. It’s not 1:30. I’m not spell checking. May Dolfan have mercy on my soul.

Well, I was able to watch Danielson vs Sabre Jr. It was the second greatest thing I’ve seen this week (second to when lil Octopus would point to a picture of Humpty Dumpty, wait for me to say Humpty Dumpty, then drop backwards to his butt with a proud sly look on his face, only to repeat that multiple times). I will watch it again and write my thoughts. I have a lot. I think this match was truly grand. Maybe even as close to perfect in what I want in a wrestling match. So many rapidly firing thoughts. I’m gonna watch it immediately twice.

If I was an EWR wrestler my gimmick would be “No Gimmick Needed” *eats clams and transforms my skin to blend into a nearby rock* derp

(What are the other 3?)