Gordlow

I don't actually want them to be this super-mean and petty, but it would be funny if they gave him a finisher that was a badly blown buckshot lariat. I've said it before and I'll say it again: All I really want out of an AEW wrestling game is to have the five basic B-button moves be a puch or chop, a kick, a collar-and-elbow tie-up, an Irish whip, and a Canadian destroyer.

@DEAN Hey, DEAN! I am peer pressuring you! EDIT: might as well get this out of the way now: NO "GREAT" MATCHES FOR ME, PLEASE! No ***** Meltzer/Keith-style epics that go long, have tons of (empty) flash and multiple finisher kick-outs. I have seen too much of that. I am here for interesting/weird matches. I love Kenny. I love Okada. I loved Kenny vs Okada at Dominion. I DO NOT WANNA WATCH THAT KIND OF MATCH HERE. I wanna watch Kenny vs Little Girl. Gimme weird. Gimme crazy. Gimme violent. Please don't gimme self-consciously epic and flashy. Also do not give me Sports Entertainment. No WWE. WWWF is fine, if it's weird and/or involves Andre. Also, unless you specifically ask, I won't be giving out great matches, but rather weird or interesting or nostalgic ones.

The segment was very clearly meant to set up a tag match. The whole point of it was Taylor telling Lee he needs to find a partner followed by Swerve showing up after Taylor walked away. I wasn't sure whether to be excited about the match until both Matt and DEAN vouched for Taylor and then I got excited for it. And then I watched about 30 seconds from the middle of the video DEAN posted and it was just Taylor LAYIING IN a couple of huge forearms on BK... And now I am fully stoked for Taylor & Griffey vs Swerve & Lee, which will include some serious BMMSM action. Plus strange style. Plus, for those who prefer matches to have a storyline that isn't only concerned with who will win and who will lose and how, we also get some "Can Keith trust Swerve" dramatic tension, plus the frisson of a possible full turn where Swerve maybe turns on Lee and joins Taylor's group... Or maybe Swerve regains Limitless's confidence and trust. I think it was more than sufficiently set up by the interview segment, and by all the stuff that's gine down, erswhile, between Lee and Strickland. Mainly, though, BMMSM coming up! Hopefully Taylor sticks around. Also, speaking of BMMSM I would very much like AEW to bring in Calvin Tankman, team him with Powerhouse Hobbs, and not call them Calvin & Hobbs. Maybe Tankerhouse or Powertank. Then feud them with Orange and Juice teaming under a name that also doesn't make a pun. It would be the all time peak Arnie in the sky pro wrestling moment.

Interesting (and challenging) question, twiztor. AEW is pretty good at heating up and building up dudes with talent. I think a lot of people maybe didn't think Hangman was on Jericho's level three years ago but he's up there as a top guy now. MJF started out as Cody's understudy. The Acclaimed and Orange were unknown to me three years ago but now make perfect sense as championship title holders. The talent is obviously there already, if we are specifically looking for, uh, a racially diverse group of dudes good enough to get that level of push. For example: I'd imagine you could heat Limitless up to that level in six months to a year if you needed to. Maybe faster. Swerve or Hobbs don't feel all that far off to me, either. Maybe Darius or one of The Acclaimed a couple of years down the road if they can stay healthy? Also: I think anyone who's listened to enough Nofx (like, say, me) might be inclined to consider MJF AEW's first non-white mens world champion. EDIT: Based on, like, 30 seconds of him LAYING IT IN that I watched, Shane Taylor has eventual champ potential! W/R/T the fantasy booking. It's been a couple of weeks. I was hoping more people might play. I did mine as a basic thought experiment in this way: thought of all the healthy available AEW wrestlers I would like to watch in PPV matches and try to cram them all in plus some of my friends and personal favourites and a couple of other interesting outsiders. I ended up with an overlong and overcrowded show and also forgot Hook, Starks, and others. I didn't wanna cheat by checking the AEW roster page. Should have. But couldn't have possibly crammed everyone in without cutting my friends and personal favourites from the show. And even then it would have been obviously overstuffed. I believe it would have been a lot of really good wrestling. But also A LOT of wrestling. I think John from Cincinnati put together a MUCH better card than I did. I would happily pay to watch that exact card. He even fit in a couple of interesting outsiders without overloading the card. I think he approached it from a different, more logical angle. My main takeaway going forward is to maybe have a little more sympathy for the booker in terms of: maybe understanding a bit more why the PPVs go so long while also not including everyone I want to see. And also why even with a lot of belts it is not possible everyone I like (or find deserving) to hold or even contend for one at any given time. And reinforcing that for me at least it's realistic to want to have friends around. It would, I have to imagine, be really challenging to find the balance point where you are running a successful business while keeping it as much a labour of love as possible. It also underlines what an absolute motherload of talent that roster is. I think it's a worthwhile thought experiment and also a fun kind of mental masturbation. I'd encourage more folks to give it a shot.

Darby, Athena, and Orange all had foregone conclusion matches that were fun to watch in different ways. Cole Karter has good smarmy heel charisma and Darby sold a ton for him, Athena got to do her new "unprofessional" gimmick on Rampage, and Orange vs QT made fun use of the lumberjack stipulation. Juice vs Orange. OK. I kinda hope Juice sticks around so he can team with Orange and they "Arnie in the sky" it by calling them "Cassidy and Robinson." Shida gonna defend the WAVE title in AEW! Yeah! Uh. I guess I liked Satnam's suit. Heck of a job by his tailor.

NIFTY YOUNG MEN VERSUS THE FACTORY SPECTACULAR EDITION OF RAMPAGE!! Orangey Boy Cassidy vs Cutie Marshall: a nonchalantly agreed upon lumberjack match! To see who rules the Atlantic. Darby Allin vs Cole Carter: I want to say that if Bryan vs Bald doesn't win DEAN's Poll this week, I will eat a hat. But. I would have said that about Kingston vs Akiyama last week. So who knows? Anyway, both of the AEW Nifty Guys vs Factory Stooges matches have massive sleeper potential. Athena vs Former Ohio Valley Wrestling Women's Champion "Dynamite" Dani Mo. I am gonna go way out on a limb and predict an Athena win here. Hopefully she continues her YouTube tradition of "being" unprofessionally violent in the ring. It's really fun when she does that! Plus fucking Jeff Jarrett in the fucking ring again and fucking Saraya on the mic again. Will either of them win me over? I suppose there's a non-zero chance. I think it is more likely that Danielson vs Harwood gets zero votes this week than that I enjoy those particular segments. Still very very likely I will enjoy the show as a whole, though. It's also possible, perhaps even likely, that Elevation will be Gordlow's favourite pro wrestling show next week. While this edition of Rampage is, like, 60% aimed at my sweet spot (on paper), Elevation is pertmuch 100% Gordlownip. Can't wait!

Oh yeah. The Burberry Belt. It's no American Dragon Hemp Belt but it suits his character. And I forgot the main event! I was reminded that I got to see PAC in Dragon Gate in a small arena near Fukuoka a decade and a half ago. The DG influence on these matches is pretty clear. I am happy about that. These guys are kind of like Mahavishnu Orchestra or Weather Report or something... In that it really is a little too much but if you are that gifted and hard-working and also have that kind of chemistry then... It's not WHY I watch AEW but I enjoy it. I enjoy the hell out of it. Like an ice cream bar or crepe station at the buffet.

My big takeaway from this show is that for me, personally, Orange Cassidy's promo with QT was a million times more effective than MJF's epic "look at me cutting a heel promo here" heel promo. (Though, I do like that he set up possible programs with Kingston and Danielson - though, I will be bummed when he cheats to beat them). Same deal with him decking Regal. I do not dig fake injury angles. At all. And it makes Regal look like an idiot. But, at least it adds heat to the eventual Danielson match. Which will be great until the bummer ending. And speaking of long discursive workyshooty promos that are just not my cup of tea at all... Hey! It's Jade! Anyway, enough about the stuff that is not my cup of tea. Lotsa folks apparently love that stuff. Hope they enjoyed the heaping helping of it we got today. Sincerely. Joe vs AR is exactly the kind of thing I watch AEW to see. Established ex-indie greats vs up n comers. Or sub in a Japanese wrestler on either side of that equation. And obviously Bryan vs Dax. Good Lord! What a match. Why are they fighting? Because they are both great at fighting and they want to see who is better, because Dax wants to test himself, because Bryan doesn't back down from a challenge. More than good enough reason for me. Personally. Willow is why I watch AEW. Didn't have a clue she existed all that long ago. now I am delighted when she gets a win. I personally would like as much of that as possible. Certainly, we got a sufficient dose of it today. And Orange won promo of the night by a mile.

It's like waking up on Christmas morning. I know I'm gonna get something good, but I don't know what it will be... Then it turns out to be something I never asked for but also something I really wanted!

I figure if you're only gonna announce three matches for a two-hour pro wrestling TV show, it's probably best if all three of those matches feel like they might be pretty great. Like, say: Willow Nightingale vs Anna Jay AS, Bryan Danielson vs Dax the Ax, and Death Triangle vs Wayward Sons Part 3 of 7. I mean, I am gonna watch regardless as are most of us here, but way to get me maximally stoked with minimal information, AEW. Off to sleep soon, maybe they'll have announced more matches by the time I wake up. Maybe we'll get a nice surprise or two. I'm almost afraid to ask for anything specific (Like, say, JD Drake vs Sting or a Maki Itoh appearance). Just looking forward to: 1) Good wrestling and 2) Pleasant surprises.

I can hardly believe that it's possible another match beat out Kingston vs Akiyama. In the same week. In the same company. I was so sure that I'd be voting for Kingston vs Akiyama this week that I felt just fine about not voting for Kingston & Ortiz vs Akiyama & Takeshita last week. I think that if we include Kingston's post-match talk then it's unbeatable. Cannot be topped. But here we are.

Rampage was on at 6 am my time. I was not planning to watch it live but I woke up at 5:56 because I had to take a whiz. Good timing, my bladder. So, might as well, what the hey, YOLO, I stayed up and watched it live while chatting with my buddy Kyle, who lives in Canada or America or somewhere weird like that, and from whom I will steal a joke in this post. I agree with all of DEAN's takes on the show. I know this because I went right back to sleep pretty much as soon as the show ended. So, I was able to read his thoughts before posting mine, rather than typing simultaneously. I think Dante Martin is at least part mountain goat. Because he likes to sing about Chavo Sr. I owe my bladder one. FTR vs Top Flight was TOO MUCH FUN. Exactly what you'd hope for. Speed and athleticism vs savvy, toughness, and teamwork. LOVED the hyuge bandaids on Jericho's chest! HATED some random A-hole trying to start a WHAT chant in 2022, as Craig H pointed out in his ROAD REPORT. I am bewildered by the guy he described who presumably paid for tickets, parking, etc etc to sit in the arena and loudly complain I wonder if he's bragging about it on social media somewhere or whatever. Maybe Toni Storm will get Broken Face as her new theme song. We know Tony K likes The Pixies. YEAH! JD DRAKE ON TV! I hope this leads to Drake vs Sting and also a tag match. DARBY has great ring chemistry with Henry, like he does with B. King. Athena has to build some evil-looking wings now. YEAH! SHIDA ON TV! And vs AMINATA, too! Hooray! Dark Order gets a main event! Will the announcers act surprised when 10 turns? Yes, they will! Perfect use of -1 there. Butcher, Blade, Bunny, Bull, & Bad Friend. Now that 10 has turned, presumably he will go by from now on. BRYAN VS DAX! HEY NATURAL! BRYAN VS DAX!! Oh, baby! Edit: I got a screen cap of Uno unmasked:

I ended up playing through Dark Deity a couple more times. It's very much like the GBA Fire Emblem games. Then I downloaded Blackguards 2 because it was on sale for next to nothing. A great-looking game with enjoyable combat but frustrating puzzle levels. Then it was time for Triangle Strategy, which I LOVED even though there is waayyy too much story and not enough of the truly glorious combat. I got to the point where you have to make a huge decision between three imperfect options but then No Man's Sky came out on Switch and I wanted to see how that looked and (as often happens with me) I couldn't stop playing it. Definitely not a strategy RPG, though! It's kind of Skyrim but Sci Fi rather than Fantasy. But then my pre-ordered copy of Tactics Ogre Reborn arrived! YES! TACTICS OGRE ON THE SWITCH! It's like when AEW brings in Ishii or Suzuki or Akiyama. EXACTLY what I wanted. Oh boy is it GREAT. So much fun. Nostalgic, too. I finally get to play Let Us Cling Together, with QoL improvements and excellent guides online so I don't miss anything. I love struggling to finish the bosses before any of my characters are down for three turns and gone for good, or rushing over to revive the fallen so I can keep trying to recruit that Lizard Lady magic user or whatever. Just finished Chapter III. Now, do I complete the game or go back and finish Triangle Strategy? What a great question to be able to ask myself. No wrong answer! Anyone else played Triangle Strategy or Tactics Ogre Reborn?

@Matt D... One of the wrestlers we disagree on is Bruiser Brody. My opinion is that he earned his legendary reputation and image in Japan (and elsewhere) and is deserving of respect. I think it's fair too say that you consider him to be often lazy and selfish in the ring. I concede that his ring work was not consistently great but I think even at his worst he was close to good in the ring. The thing I really like, though, is that he was who he seemed to be. A real life wildman who spoke his mind and never pretended to be something he wasn't. So, I'm hoping we can agree that he had those two qualities. What I'm saying is, Bruiser Brody was: Frank. Good-ish.

Well. That was GREAT. I am interested in seeing whose cup of tea ISHII CONTINUING TO HAMMER JERICHO'S BLOODY CHEST WITH HIS RED RIGHT HAND turns out not to have been. Certainly, it was exactly my cup of tea. SO UNCOUTH! We've all done bad things. American Dragon speaks the truth. Storyline wise, they are teasing everything and paying nothing off today. Cool. Gives us something to anticipate. Nice pop for Orangey Boy. THEY ACTUALLY MADE THE HAT THE STORY. Also my cup of tea. Also interested to see who all wildly disagrees with that opinion. Best Hager match ever? Yes. Because of the hat. Nicky Boy vs B. King please! On Dark would be just fine. Glad to see Buddy Matthews back in the ring. Wrestling needs to have a Buddy, in my opinion. Buddy Wayne, Buddy Rose, Buddy Rodgers... Injured Body Part Psychology is almost as classic and effective as Hat-Based Psychology. Best Ethan Page AEW match so far? I think so. Chopping in the corner in time with the CM Punk chants! Looking forward to the Cutler-Cam view of that. Kenny's GTS takes Troll of the Night honours, though. Is doing a biting spot in Chicago a deliberate call-back? I liked the finish because I also keep a little hammer in my trunks, so I could relate. HAYTER IS CHAMP! I'M DRINKING ALL THE HAYTERAID! All that JAS tonight! THANKSGIVING MIRACLE was a good pay-off to that whole Injure Me Daddy Ass angle. SHIDA ON RAMPAGE! BUTCHER AND BLADE! While the rubes warch commercials, me and DEAN are listening to GENERIC HARD ROCK RIFFS! Stone Pitbull is, in my opinion, a better pro wrestling nickname than Fragile Porcelain Teacup Poodle. THAT APRON DDT BUMP! There were people who hated Kobashi vs Sasaki. There are people who hate puppy dogs, warm autumn evenings, and fresh strawberries. I liked how Ishii wouldn't let Jericho bait him to the outside even though Jericho is a master of that. ZIMBRA AND CRAIG H ROAD REPORTS!!

Oh man. KENTA and Marufuji teaming up again gives me warmly nostalgic feelings.

So we get DT vs The Wayward Sons match #2 of 7. It's obviously gonna be fast-paced and exciting. What really has me intrigued, though, is whether - and how - they might make each of the seven matches distinct. Will they escalate? It's not really possible to escalate from their PPV match, is it? Will they work a little differently in each iteration? Will the finishes be unique? Just to be different, will they try a match with two or three miedos rather than cero? Jericho vs Ishii!!! I am a flat-out mark for the Stone Pitbull. I am not saying that Bryan vs SUZUKI was the BEST AEW match ever or the best match of the last few years. I am saying it is my favourite AEW match and my favourite match of the last few years. So I like strong style guys showing up in AEW. And even though my friend Matt might disagree, Ishii vs Kingston is right up there for me as well. So I am stoked. I am ready. Maybe a smidge less stoked than I was for Kingston vs Akiyama, but still pretty darned stoked. Starksy vs All Ego to see which one (Starks) will get to fight the new champ! I'm looking for this to maybe be Ethan's best match in AEW so far. Speaking of which... I am expecting Orange vs Hager to be Hager's best AEW singles match so far. Lotta high expectations on Gordlow's part here. And Regal gonna explain why oh why he broke our hearts. What else we gonna get? I don't even know if a ladies' match has been announced. I'm like a kid heading out for Halloween wondering what candy I'm gonna get. Also: CHICAGO CROWD REACTIONS!!!

That's crazy! Mox didn't bleed in a main event title match! Do you know how much money we could have won on DraftStars? And, @SirFozzieISiSirFozzieISirFozzieISiSirFozziFozzieISiSirFozzieISirFozzieISiSirFozz I can confirm that there are few finer feelings than having DEAN curse at you for making a dad joke! also I guess I can confirm I still have issues with @-ing people.

Let me get this outa the way: I HATED the ending. But, only because I wanted Regal, Bryan, Claudio, and Mox to be BCC 4 Life and stay together forever. I was a hell of a main event, though. I prefer MJF in the ring to MJF on the mic. Anyone else? MJF now stands for Muscular Jacked-up Freak. I was surprised by the crowd booing Moxley! I guess Regal and Bryan can stay together... we'll see how Friedman fits in. I felt like it was a 4-way tie for MOTN: Kingston's Road, the cage match,the Trios Title match, and Storm vs Hayter. All great in their own way and four really different and distinct matches. Impressive. Loved the pre-show! Loved the crowd! My mark-out tank was empty by the time the tag title match rolled around. I enjoyed the overarching theme of "using tools ( such as hammers or pliers) for evil will win you a title but cost you your immortal soul." PRE-SHOW Rocky! Nice job on saving the "mystery partner" reveal. Having Hausen and Cassidy together makes total sense now. The goofy dudes who can really go. Full Gear would be a good nickname for Brian Cage. Who doesn't love a nice "David and Goliath" plus "Injured bodypart" story? Nice structure. I am so excited for the AEW video game! Kingston Road Style! Pure Wrestling Love! Imagine getting respect from your idol like that. I can confirm that Akiyama is an awesome dude. I "almost" started crying when Kingston paid tribute to Baba, Jumbo, Misawa... MAIN CARD I see TWO Cages! That was a hell of a crimson mask on Jungle Boy, and some classic cage match images. Christian stealing the key was too slick. FUCK C.M. PUNK!! and COLT CABANA chants!! What a pop for The Wayward Sons! I'm working on a "Top 200 Spots" list for the Trios Title match. Not a complaint. BEST OF SE7EN!! What's in the box?! WHAT'S IN THE BOX?!? Tony K: More wrestling! Jade's Thundercats ring gear! Oh, my! First Nyla fell down, then... What have I become? The sing-along is still one of the best things in wrestling. Or, in Sports Entertainment. I think they did a good job of using the 4-way stip to tell stories. Sammy is The Real Judas. Also Bryan. I was hoping the crowd would be 100% behind Britt, forcing AEW to BMMSM was BMMSM but also Wardlow flying. More like Ward-high, eh? Eh? Loved the Ohtani shout out. You can donate when you go to shows in Japan. ISHII!!! STONE PITBULL!!! AEW really does love us! I take back all that Burger King stuff... ...oh. Jeff Jarrett. Enjoyed Satnam re-defining "Catch as catch can." Hayter and Storm beat the hell outa one another, had so many great near-falls, and as much as I like Toni Storm I am glad they pulled the trigger. Crowd was awesome. Match was awesome. I was semi-hemi-burned out for the final two matches but they were both really good. What a show! Ishii coming up! Best of Seven! Takeshita is All Elite. Oh. Hell. Yeah.

That's pretty crazy! Both of us ended up getting exactly what we asked for, in fact: 　 How are we supposed to not love AEW now? EXACTLY what we asked for. Somebody there wants the same things we do. It's pretty cool and fun, in my opinion.

Or, to spin it the other way: Isn't it awesome that a true wrestling nerd, like many of us here on these boards, has decided to use his fortuitous circumstances to live his pro wrestling nerd dreams? It's cool because he still has his love for it, and those of us so inclined benefit because we get to see things like Kingston & Ortiz vs Takeshita & Akiyama. Good for Tony Khan, living his best life in a way that makes other's lives better as well!

What a great hour of pro wrestling! Come home, AEW, all is forgiven! I loved Archer vs Starks starting in the back. I loved the outa nowhere finish. You keep Archer looking special even in defeat because his matches are different. The side of the steps is the hardest part of the steps. Moriarty vs Hook is BattleArts-ian professional wrestling! Will DEAN also think so? I hope so. I'll look foolish if he has already said it wasn't. Hook's best match yet? I forgot both these guys in my fantasy booking post. I stink. Hey! Also Madison's best match yet. Wow. Athena is really very good at professional wrestling. Athena vs Mercedes. Homemade wings vs German engineering. YES! ORANGE AND BEST FRIENDS ON THE PPV!!! And Rocky!! Back to back spooky videos. Hold off on Kingston and Akiyama. Yes. That's how to lay it out. Mad King pays tribute to Kobashi and Piper one right after the other. Sweet powerslam from Ortiz. I was so happy while this was going on. I am still happy. Much more stoked for tomorrow, now, also.

This is kind of continuing a (pleasant and hopefully interesting) discussion I was having with Matt on the Dynamite thread. I am kind of under the impression that a PPV is still where a pro wrestling promotion showcases the wrestlers, belts, angles etc etc that are *most important* at the time. So Saraya and Jeff Jarrett being featured on the upcoming PPV and FTR and Orange Cassidy being left off seems worrisome to me. Maybe that's old-fashioned thinking. And it's obviously not possible to book a PPV that is all things to all people. However: Assuming a PPV was still where you woulf want to showcase the best of your promotion, and assuming you were in Tony Khan's shoes, how would YOU book Full Gear 2022? Or, next year's first big PPV? Acknowledging that we don't have to deal with the actual human beings being booked, and their wants and needs. Just playing to our own personal tastes entirely. Whether that be wanting Danielson on top, hating the Elite, not being in favour of the ROH acquisition, preferring shoot style, wanting more stories, being nostalgic for the weird early days of the promotion... whatever your deal might be. purpose is 2-fold. 1 - see what and who everyone prefers, personally. 2 - develop some empathy and compassion for the booker. It's really hard! Even with obvious people I like, such as Hanger and Stat, out with injuries, it's impossible to fit everyone I want on the PPV. I need ten matches on the main card and four on the pre-show, some of them over-stuffed. It's too much! Realistically, I'd have to shift a couple of matches to TV the week before or after. Which only goes to prove Matt's point. "Rules" You have been booker since before the last PPV. We can assume matches have been built to. Maybe you have some different championship titles. And champions. Maybe you keep the same ones. If you hate long PPVs, maybe book fewer matches. You can bring in anyone that AEW might realistically have access to. I'd bring in a few friends and favourites and it hypothetically bums me out I can't bring in more. Up to you whether or not you have a magic wand that can heal injuries, make people forgive Punk, free people from contracts elsewhere, etc etc Here's my best attempt: Obviously my AEW would already be out of business... And I am sure I forgot someone great and three ladies' matches out of fourteen is not enough. (Edit: Starks. I forgot Ricky Starks. For one). (And Hook. I stink. It's impossible). But I hope other people here wanna play this game, too.

I can only speak for myself (and I don't even wanna try and speculate how the minds of certain consistently -negative posters process information beyond acknowledging that it does feel nice when a one-off low rating fits with your personal crackpot theories; and also to admit that a very high rating - say them hitting 1.5 million or something - during this period would have given me a sinking feeling that there is no turning back and that the far more reasonable posters who want AEW to be more like the corporate wrestling on the other channel were right all along... this is turning into a very long parenthetical, but in fact I just realised that the low rating makes me happy in a selfish way which... which proves that you, Matt, were correct about "Tony K cares more about Gordi's needs right now than Gordi cares about Tony K's needs." Which IS pretty funny now that I acknowledge it as true). Maybe Ii should have replied in the navel-gazing thread. ALL that being said: From my personal perspective, the issue IS NOT AND NEVER HAS BEEN the wrestling (per se). The actual in ring work remains a consistent highlight of my week. The wrestlers performing in the ring continue to individually delight me every Thursday morning and Saturday afternoon (my time) and for that reason Dynamite and Rampage remain appointment viewing for me. The only shows I regularly watch as they are happening, because the wrestling is great and chatting about it with the international group of crazed fans I belong to is delightful. I have been less positive than usual about AEW for a few weeks now, but apart from a move away from a 90s Giant Baba-esque "almost all clean finishes" style and toward sometimes having multiple schmozz finishes on a single show (which is more of a booking thing) I remain 98% positive about the in-ring work. My deal is that I definitely feel a shift away from a more indie-and-Japan (and Mexico) focus into a more WWE-type of presentation. Maybe the shift is about 90/10 (when the "Codyverse" was the more WWE-ish part of the show) to about 70/30 or 60/40 some weeks with Saraya and MJF On Top and leaning very very heavily into merch and catch-phrases with The Acclaimed (who remain delightful themselves and who have been great in-ring) being examples of the more WWE-ish stuff. But it's not on them, as such, I'd like them all to succeed. It's a slight change in feel, in tone, in presentation. A shift slightly away from the delightfully weird and unpredictable and toward the mainstream. A slightly greater emphasis on names that non-hardcore fans might recognize. Perhaps a lesser chance of real risks being taken w/r/t who goes over and who gets pushed right now. We still get the deeply weird and very indie Orange Cassidy as one of our champions, but he isn't a featured attraction on the PPV, for example. I don't think it's deniable, and the reasoning behind it, with a new TV deal coming up, makes sense. And I guess it makes me a bad person that I am relieved that it hasn't been a wild run-away success (same day US ratings wise). But it ain't the wrestling. And Dark remains delightfully weird and unpredictable And we are getting Mad King's Dream Match in less than three hours.