Kevin Wilson

In simple non-spoiler terms, its a story-driven turn based RPG, but during battles there are timed button inputs for dodging/parrying attacks and a QTE to hit for your attack for extra damage. Getting the timing right for dodges and parries isn't optional to get a little less damage done, if you don't get them right sometimes you are gonna die. Also, every character has a.... method to make their attacks more powerful by how you use them, so there is always some calculating to do the most damage possible. I guess that is to say calling it just a turn based RPG sells it short as there is a lot going on during battles besides "attack this turn" "potion this turn" "defend this turn" etc.

I'm about ten hours into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and I am not sure what I expected exactly (I don't read detailed reviews or watch youtube videos of games I know I will play as I don't want to be spoiled about anything) but its pretty fantastic. It is so much more then a turn based RPG, I haven't played anything quite like it. For a developer's first game they knocked it out of the park, sure they combined elements from games we've all played before but the way they put everything together and added their own twists really works. And its pretty and I haven't had any bugs. My only complaint is I don't think the rare platforming sections were necessary as the jump detection isn't perfect and the game didn't need it, but still an easy rec.

I'm 90% sure that the first table was supposed to break with Orton/Cena and Orton called the audible to find another table to break it properly. They briefly chatted and that seems more logical then them planning two spots like that back to back. And of course both are vets enough they could adlib an extra spot.

I imagine to read later why the end of the match was so odd but even with that I really enjoyed Lyra Valkyria vs. Becky Lynch. Everything else on the PPV was hit or miss with some good/some bad but I liked that match quite a bit.

Combination of luck and determination. Mostly luck, with target and gamestop I just kept hitting the button for an hour until it went through. Maybe just having nothing better to do.

I'm a fan of hers, I wouldn't say she is a super high in-ring talent (very good though) but she has a lot of charisma and personality. I don't think she'll come into AEW and be slotted at the top right away but hopefully she can get on TV with a midcard feud and get over with the crowd some. I'm cautiously excited but knowing how little TV time the women get I'm not sure how it will ultimately work out. This isn't a great example of her wrestling skills as it wasn't competitive but this match does show her fire and what she does best: https://youtu.be/XYpQCSNiulQ?si=KUgVljPRHciWaQIu

You may be taking this a little too personal, its ok if people disagree (even strongly) with you as much as its ok for you to feel strongly about your stance. It isn't tribalism just because someone doesn't agree with your vision of what wrestling and/or Dynamite should be. Some people legitimately like Dynamite's structure, no two people are always going to want the same thing from their sports entertainment. You can "dismiss" it, but that says more about you then anyone else as I never dismissed your opinion, I just don't agree with your opinion.

I got my invite from Nintendo today to purchase a Switch 2 direct from them. I already have a handful pre-ordered but I also have a handful of friends and family that missed out but want one. So I told them however many I actually get I'll sell to them for my cost, although I feel like I am enabling them by doing the work. If anyone else did the registration gimmick, hopefully you get an email soon as well.

While I have not much faith in the end booking working out, I'd argue that it can't be compared to how over he was as champion as that luster was already gone before this gimmick started. They already had lost a lot of their reactions from a couple years ago and getting over as a singles wrestler in a different gimmick is a different story then as a team. So if TK can re-build Max as a singles star with this gimmick I'd consider that a victory for him. I just am not sure what the end will even look like at this point, I just hope TK does. But if you wanted a real answer, maybe Mikey Whipwreck.

We are currently witnessing history with Max Caster, he is somehow going to end up being super over when his is done unless TK doesn't hit the landing. Which to be fair is possible if he makes it last too long and the crowd gives up.

I laid back a little bit just so it didn't seem like I had a crusade against all this but mentioning Goldberg and Brock kinda broke my brain a bit as those were two wrestlers being pushed as "the" monster. And it did work (short term in Goldberg's case) but those are once a generation examples. They were wrestlers the respective promoter was hellbent on pushing to the moon and they booked around that idea but that's not the same as booking Saturn vs. Enos in a three minute match that ends in a countout. And it worked and it was fun but that doesn't mean there should be two or three matches every week in that mold as the entire midcard would be squashed in the process. TK did it a bit with Wardlow, he's not totally against the idea if the time/wrestler is right but its not going to be a weekly feature. But I feel the need to point out that much of what has been talked about in here was never what AEW was meant to be. While "sport-based" was always an iffy term/theory and a can of worms I don't want to open, fans were expecting a more New Japan-ish presentation based on the opening press conferences, interviews, etc. AEW was never aiming to be or presenting itself as trying to be a "Monday Night Wars" crash TV presentation but rather the opposite. All the Dynamites in 2019 had five or six matches with several 10+ minutes, they've always used short matches/squash matches rarely to get over a point (like they did last night) but not as part of the structure. I think there are legitimate and realistic areas AEW can improve their presentation that would still align with the promotion's mission but I just don't think that's one of them. I will say I am legitimately shocked that TK hasn't brought back Dark or a Dark-like show as word was with this new contract they could have TV shows elsewhere since it wasn't exclusive. That was the perfect way to get new wrestlers in-ring time, have some squashes for the squashy people, and let wrestlers get experience. I think its a major whiff that there seem to be no plans to bring it back as that would be beneficial on many different levels.

Gabe Davis cut by the Jaguars. I'm sure a year ago I posted that the contract he got was insane based on his skill level, I assume the Jags realized the same. He'll get picked up somewhere, he's a solid #3 or #4 option but he's just not top level or near to it.

I can't justify playing Dredge again due to my backlog but anyone that hasn't played it, its an easy recommendation. Very fun and unique game.

I understand better where you are coming from now, I don't agree with you but I get your stance. I'd just say I think you are in the vast minority of wrestling fans in 2025 and especially AEW fans that want that setup/style of wrestling on TV. That's not to say you can't prefer it, of course you can but I just don't think its a realistic dream. Even WWE doesn't do that anymore and they aren't as much a "workrate" company and have just as deep a roster, there isn't a general desire of fans to see that type presentation for wrestling at this point. Its been dead for 25 years and I think it was killed by a shift in what fans wanted from their tv wrasslin.

To be fair I just picked a random 1997 Nitro as I couldn't remember when they went to three hours in 1998 (or 1999) but knew it was two hours in 1997. Times were different back then but I just don't think its something current wrestling should be trying to emulate.

I guess my point is I do think they mix up the match layout and isn't just lazy 'six matches a week plug in different matches' as your post mentioned. I don't think Dynamite needs seven matches a week either. One week two big matches went 20+ plus, I'd rather that then four five-minute matches. They don't use the exact same formula week to week which was what I was showing. You mention not wanting a formula but in a way you are asking for one if you want Dynamites to have 7+ matches every week (which to me is too many matches on a regular basis), your issue is not wanting a low number of matches period even if it means variety. Variety is good, women's matches are very good. I do think what you are pushing for is a crazy ask as it would be difficult week to week to book seven plus matches, have them tell their stories, and also still have promo time to push other stories. I don't want TK to feel he has to hit X number of matches just due to the roster size, I want entertaining matches whether the show as three or eight of them. And honestly I don't think the majority of AEW fans want that either. You mention Nitro but I hated the late 90s RAW/Nitro formula where there were tons of short matches so maybe that is our disconnect. They'd have big matches like DDP vs Savage and it would go four minutes. Just trash, give me a 20 minute Fletcher vs. Page match any day of the week even if that means less matches that week. Honestly think that sounds awful, who wants two hour shows with this many matches squeezed in: Nitro 12/22/97: Fit Finlay vs. Eddie Guerrero Meng (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Steve McMichael Hector Garza, Juventud Guerrera & Rey Misterio Jr. vs. La Parka, Psychosis & Silver King Hammer vs. Chris Benoit Rick Steiner (w/Ted DiBiase) vs. Scott Norton WCW United States Heavyweight Title Match: Curt Hennig (c) vs. Disco Inferno Lodi & Riggs vs. Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) Buff Bagwell vs. Chris Jericho Randy Savage (w/Miss Elizabeth) vs. Lex Luger Seven of the matches were six minutes or less even with that level of wrestler. That's garbage as far as I am concerned so if that's your ideal show setup then I don't think we are going to be on the same page on this one. But I do agree with more women matches/match type variety so we aren't on totally different pages, TK can always do better.

I know this is one of your main talking points but its not really true at the moment. The last 12 Dynamites had 5, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 5, 6, 5, 6, 4, 7 matches (this was a quick skim and count so if I missed one, not intentional) so 25% had six matches with a variety of match times but most in the ten minute range which has always been kinda true (as an average) for TV wrestling matches. While I do agree that it would be nice if there was an additional women's match more often, or more multi-women matches, the match number format isn't as rigid as you sell it as, probably different factors go into it. Personally I don't think forcing another match is the solution, the shows already have a fair amount of in-ring wrestling and there are always going to be promos to push the stories. But mixing up the mens/womens ratio I'd certainly be happy with. I also love Willow. Need more Willow and not just chasing around Marina although at least that gets her on the shows so she isn't forgotten.

I think it will end up with a double turn, or a turn, depending on what you feel MJF's current heel/face alignment is. The crowd already kinda likes Hurt Syndicate and they don't really do overly heel things anyway in-ring so I think whatever ends up happening for All In they won't be the bad guys by then.

I can't imagine anything less appealing then fighting with hundreds of thousands of people to get to the capitol lawn to listen to draft picks being read. Then hundreds of thousands of people all trying to leave at the same time. I know I am not the target audience for these events but people that find this fun should be put on a special list. Unless you live within easy walking distance and just check it out for a few hours, I'd understand that anyway.

Switching gears a bit but does anyone want to take a guess at what they are doing with MJF? It feels like there is a long term plan for what they are doing (I don't mean years down the road but with the current Hurt Syndicate back-and-forth) but I can't figure out for sure what the timeline and ultimate goal is. Like many I thought this was just a way to get MJF a faction again and to feud against the Hurt Syndicate but FTR has their own feuds going on and nothing has been hinted in that direction. I keep thinking at some point they will want to "heat up" MJF back to challenging for the world title but maybe they are waiting on that after Mox loses the belt/the DR story is done which could be six months or a year down the road so they are keeping him busy elsewhere. Common sense would say this feud ends with MJF vs. Lashley at a PPV with MJF and his new friends going over to get MJF back over the hump into the main event scene, but they are going really slow with it and TK does sometimes go so slow with storylines that either the crowd loses interest or they end without a real conclusion as things go back to the status quo. So I hope here there is a definite plan and a timeline for it, I have no issue with the storyline but would just rather it not drag out for months.

That's my hope of what they do but I don't know if that is the plan. I really really like Ospreay *ducks tomatoes* but I don't think right now he needs a title to do what he does. He's the five star match guy, you can put him on the co-main of any PPV against just about anyone and he is going to do this thing. But I don't think currently he has the character/presentation to be the champion or top guy. Doesn't mean he can't down the road, I'm just looking at right now. Page on top doing more storyline/emotion based storytelling with Ospreay/Fletcher/Takeshita/Omega killing it underneath sounds like a winning formula to me and one that can carry them for six to nine months.

Seems like just rumors with no real confirmation, probably someone just making it up based on recent events. I do believe that Nakamura's contract won't be renewed as he seems pretty "done" with WWE but doesn't seem to be imminent. I assume his post-WWE career whenever it starts will be doing spot shows for NOAH and New Japan but I don't see him ever having a full time schedule again, I am sure he made plenty of money in WWE and he's kinda washed. Not broken-washed like Naito but just generally not near the level he was even five/six years ago. But he's been wrestling for 23 years, he's earned the break.

Don't take the bait friends, he knows what he is doing. But to answer the question seriously - even though Adam Page hasn't been the primary focus of the promotion much of the last three years as the focus has been on Danielson's story and then the Death Riders (with the exception being the Swerve/Page series of matches), I would argue he is the "heart" of the promotion. He is a great character and a talented wrestler that the crowd always reacts to. He does the most with every bit of screen time he gets and is entwined in several different storylines, he can appear weekly on Dynamite but no one ever complains about him being on "too much" as his presence is always compelling TV. He's the most interesting character on AEW on the men's side and they literally at any moment can cook him back up to be the world champion and the fans would love it. I think he's the most captivating wrestler they currently have on the men's side and is on the cusp of being the true face of the promotion if they decide to go in that direction.

I like the idea mentioned of just switching Shayna and Marina, having it be one casual mention on commentary and from then on pretending like nothing changed. I mean they wouldn't do that but it would be funny and an instant upgrade.

The key to going to WWE right now (besides the 'I always wanted to be in WWE' crowd, that's hard to get around) is getting main roster money. Main roster pays pretty damn well so if a wrestler can take their AEW exposure and turn that into a main roster contract then you won't hear me say a word about it because I can't really blame them. Now if an AEW wrestler took that exposure and could only pull off a NXT contract (still pays well I am sure but not main-roster well) that's a little different. Its tough though for me to say "TK should take a look at Gigi" or "TK should take a look at Kai" as their roster is so deep as it is. They've been better about not signing as many just-fired WWE wrestlers the last few years and I assume that trend will continue. Wrestlers like Jade for example would jump back to WWE in a heartbeat, do you want to give her a three year AEW deal and push her, and as soon as she gets word WWE wants to re-sign her she wants to go? I just think TK has to be more cautious with wrestlers cut (Miro, Black, Andrade) vs. wrestlers that join by choice (Mox, Edge, Ricochet) in regards to what their long term goals are and if they are worth investing in.