Brandon Bones

It just goes to reinforce that if you give Cole something good to work with. He’ll deliver good commentary. If he didn’t get saddled (while still green) with having to sell Mick Foleys first title win. Especially, when we wanted that moment to be in someone else’s voice. Cole would be much more highly thought of. He has a decent resume when you count up his moments.

I was really into mid to late aughts ROH. I came in right after Punk left. So I caught the train for the AmDrag title run. Nigel… Morishima… CZW and NOAH crossovers and the eventual rise of the ROH title to “World Title” status. But… ROH as well as it did, never really ascended much beyond those heights. It didn’t help that post Gabe booking never really did it for me. But that is beside the point I want to make. It’s just too bad that a “from scratch fed” like ROH never really had any long time veterans in the locker rooms. Some SOMEBODIES of name and note that had some level credit to spend in even passing a torch. William Regal would have been splendid. So I’m reminded after Dynamite this week of just how important having those people on-screen, interacting, and giving the rub really is. Something ROH didn’t have much of. Jericho tapping out to MJFs lukewarm arm bar pretty much solved the riddle on a hot heel whose finish wasn’t over. Sting being with Darby is inexplicable but entirely effective. These two really only have a visual connection but otherwise are chocolate and peanut butter. Together at last. Guys like Cena and Orton could have used a lot of this kind of help during their ascension. But again, staying on track. Meanwhile, I don’t really think Wight or Mark Henry are really contributing that much in this idea. Which is ok because they’re hardly getting in the way. Matt Hardy IS trying. The booking of AEW often reminds me of those awesome years of dvd era ROH (thanks megaupload). Only this time around the torches are happily being passed and bridging those generational gaps. I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Another great overall show that continues to keep me swept up. Does anyone else freak out over that Jurassic Express double team into the power bomb? That is a really crazy dangerous move without much margin for error. Anytime I see it-I’m like “Fuuuuuuuck”! Loved the crowd signing Judas exactly as planned. Jericho looked pleased as punch. The match was also a very good main event with a genuinely surprising finish. Not that MJF won. But a tap out victory over a big name star is cementing a young heels bonafides. It’s a solid build. I’m in the camp that the QT/Wight promo didn’t quite hit the mark in a show full of bullseyes. But I’m also kinda wondering what Wight has to do to shed his skin of WWE baggage. To me it’s pretty much THAT getting in the way of projecting the required cool factor AEW manages most of the time. One last thing I’d like to point to in appreciation. The large roster that AEW has and with the limited tv time they have available. They do a really good job rotating performers in and out so that week to week so the show doesn’t always look alike. It would be very easy to always have the biggest stars eating up all the time and end up stale from repetition. But this young company full of young talent does a great job of staying fresh. Keep dodging that bullet.

A better pace this week. So while the episode was swift it never seemed too fast. Loved the cool twists on familiar characters. What could have been for poor Nebula.

I have a feeling that once the deal was done for a second season. It probably changed what was given in this finale. So there’s going to be a longer arc. Honestly, for anyone who has watched these animated series. It can kind of feel like we’re back where we started. Kind of a tepid start where it’s unclear where things are going even if there are a boatload of unanswered questions. Who knew that Asoka was going to pay off as well as it did back in S1? But in both cases of the prior shows it EVENTUALLY got to where it was going. So I’m not too disappointed that the season finale wasn’t a blow away show. A couple more seasons in and it’ll be the hotness. We are in good hands. So maybe my Wild Bunch prediction will still pay off. ?

Retroactively that makes me a bit more forgiving of Jericho. I get that he wants to hype up the brand new show they are selling. Just play a few more notes is all and it smooths it out. For me at least.

I’m really not much for nostalgia. At least in terms of rewatching a lot of the stuff I saw growing up. Meanwhile I do have something of a thirst for stuff from the era I might have missed. So YouTube is ripe with boatloads of old house shows. Results may vary. But this might be one of the best in totality. It’s got a fantastic Valentine vs. Patterson match for the IC belt. Another Hogan/Orndorff pre-86 that’s pretty good. A fun angle where Tiger Chung Lee gets turned on by Fuji. Piper and Snuka right after the coconut incident. It features probably the best most hilarious ref bump ever. And lastly a great tag title match with Adonis and Murdoch vs. Brian Blair and Bob Backlund. You want this.

Omega vs. Andrade

I’ll posit the theory that this whole belt collector thing has gone as far as it can. In my infantile brain. I saw the path for Omega adding the New Japan title to the bunch with perhaps an empty challenge in the direction of WWE as it’s zenith. I would really hate to lose all that build up. But between Hangman’s family stuff and then awkward coordination of far too many other companies trying to do their own thing during a pandemic. I get it that perhaps it has gone as far as it can. At least if one must pivot. Pivot in the direction of Punk and Bryan. Someone else where on the board suggested an idea that Omega/Christian “over deliver”. At this point I’m thinking it going to be mandatory otherwise Christian is fucked in AEW. If he nails it at the level of his series with Orton. I’ll be satisfied. But he might have to exceed even that just to start relevant in an increasingly more crowded pool of stars. But hey! It’s Christian. He’s awesome.

That got a big pop from me brother brother brother. Yeah. That Christian vs Abyss cage match from (IIRC) the first episode on SPIKE impressed me.

I liked the first episode pretty much. I have a soft spot for Carter ever since I binged the network show off the recommendation from some of you here. But man it went by too fast to really let some of those good character moments really breathe. The twist of Steve’s injury not at all getting in the way of Peggy having feelings for him was so great. But man did a viewer barely have a chance to have it register.

I’m leaning towards Christian getting taken out and going INTO the PPV with no declared challenger. Normally, I wouldn’t ever suggest something like that being a good idea. But these are unique times with the specter of Punk and Bryan hanging over each show. It’s works as a nice slight of hand where both the surprise and potentially awesome match sell it just as well as any names on the marquee. Another fun show that should make WWE feel ashamed of the last 10 years of adversarial booking. Daunte Martin is this weeks MVP.

Just discovered this band. Reminds me if L7 got into a knife fight with Suicidal Tendencies.

And now I am a Peter Avalon fan. Just like that.

Welp! So much for my Wild Bunch finish. Though I am still pretty geeked for the finale.

I remember how much I loved that 2/3 falls match with Flair in 91. I loved that whole singles run he had post Midnights. Eaton was so good he got me to like a few Terry Taylor matches. That’s just something I don’t do.

Going into this show. I was somewhat concerned for this episode getting to play out on its own merits with all the buzz surrounding the company. I figured there’d be Punk or Bryan chants enough to distract from the show. Apparently… not an issue. Lol Happy to be wrong about it too. As a big fan of Black. Seeing him get put over so strong like that gives me some hope. I really liked his stuff in NXT. Super glad geeked that he is off to a running start. The rest of the show was ok to good. But that judgement is in part a side effect of downshifting the pace to get some other work done. The one negative being Christian being good. Just not quite strong enough to contend for the title at a ppv.

So the idea of a tournament begs the question for me. Should AEW do a G1 style tournament in the the United States? Would that kind of long drawn out structure alienate North American fans? Would it get in the way of “Dream Match” scenarios? When a first time match is given away in a middling spot in a dense populated tournament. Is that wise to do when historically (NA as opposed to Japan) those matches are saved in better money making positions? Would doing it sooner rather than later make a difference?

Great episode this week. Good action and some table setting has me primed for the finish.

It’s thinking about this stuff when I have the thought that: 1. This is definitely a good time to put Page over and make him champion. The momentum and narrative certainly suggested as much before the 10 man. 2. But the belt collector stuff makes me think that Kenny’s run (considered unto itself) isn’t quite ready to drop the belt and give Page every bit of pass the torch credit. Every bit that is required will be readily available so Omega can possibly spend it to make a baby face “the guy”. Omega hasn’t won or fought for all the belts he could be winning as of yet. Page winning now pretty much cuts that off I’d think… right?

I think the real hurdle to get over is what to do about maintaining current storylines AND making it ok that Punk does a job in Chicago. I’ll spitball the idea of an early in the show promo battle with Punk, Darby, Sting. Set up a number 1 contender match. This way Chicago gets a Punk win and an after match pipe bomb where he promises to win the title as Dynamite or Rampage go off the air. Punk would have to lose to a top rope OWA or something following a visual pin to sell it. But Chicago would’ve got their fill of the long awaited return. I don’t know. These are big moves converging all at once. It’s going to be tough to cram it all in and make it work. Then yeah. Put Adam Page over. Afterward… pivot Punk over to Colt. DO WANT!

I am so smart. S M R T! I’m 1 out of a million in guessing shit right.

So one potential positive in this is if this scandal is henceforth referred to as “PizzaGate”… fewer Googling morons will be fed bizarre conspiracy theories.

Well, ok I guess. I’m in if y’all think it’ll help. I’ve never done it before so I can’t promise quality. That wasn’t your actual plan… was it?

I gotta say. I really enjoyed the match. I’m genuinely afraid of Gage getting AEW into some trouble this week.