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Dynamite - 10/18/2022


The Natural

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14 minutes ago, S.K.o.S. said:

Saw some "Jericho should have used the cradle piledriver on Jerry Lynn" takes, but I just saw a tweet that pointed out that Jericho was basically using the Lightning Kid's Lightning Strike. Maybe not intentional, but some good headcanon at the very least.

I actually thought the same thing! My first exposure to Lynn was the piledriver vs. sleeper hold match on a Schneider comp.

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36 minutes ago, Craig H said:

Yeah. He got concussed in the Forbidden Door 4 way, Jay White called an audible to end the match, and Cole has been out since. It's crazy he's been out as long as he has been. 

Man, I mistakenly thought he had a shoulder injury this whole time for some reason. They are obviously taking the protocol very seriously, and regardless of what one thinks of any of the other 'public facing' shortcomings as of late, it's unquestionably the right move. Obviously, every injury and every person's body is different, but if it means not getting to see Hangman for another 4 months, so be it, as long as the man has his wits about him. Head injuries are nothing to play with, not just for the performers' health, but for the obvious optics of also being NFL owners. Whoever shouted out the Tua situation on the last page is entirely correct.

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Dalton Castle rocks. MORE SASSY QUEENS IN WRESTLING.

Regal's getting in MJF's head to protect Mox. He thought MJF was gonna cash in after the main event and wanted to put doubt into his mind so he's hold off til Mox was fresh.

OR Regal just wants everyone, regardless of alignment, to be the best wrestler they can be and is legit trying to help MJF reach his potential.

EITHER WAY I'm intrigued. Will MJF beat Mox clean? Will he cheat to such an egregious degree he becomes a mega heel? Can he do the former without turning face? I doubt they'd do all this face turn teasing without a plan, and when you remember that this was initially supposed to be a Punk feud, I wonder if the plan was originally an MJF face turn followed by an "I'm a snake" heel reveal like Punk's ROH title win in 05.

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As someone who had a front row seat for Lince Dorado's infamous concussion in Chikara, I was getting all sorts of weird vibes from Hanger's injury. Similarly, I'm glad to know it wasn't nearly as bad as it looked in the moment. I forget where exactly I saw it, but someone said Moxley mouthed "15 seconds away," so they had to be thisclose to the finish. No matter what, kudos to everyone for keeping that closing angle together.

MJF, bloody hell. Talk about a million dollar promo. I can't call what he did "babyfacing himself to the crowd," but you want him to succeed, even if he is a giant asshole to everyone. He is incredible when it comes to timing and inflection - putting his trainers over unironically, stage-muttering curses at Regal and just breathing fire in a way that feels REAL. And the smug snake Regal takes it all, then gets his heat back beautifully. All with neither guy putting a finger on the other one. I have no earthly idea where this is going, but it's going to be immense. 

If MJF's Malenko story was true... hoo boy. Not a good look for the man of 1,000 holds.

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5 minutes ago, Pete said:

As someone who had a front row seat for Lince Dorado's infamous concussion in Chikara, I was getting all sorts of weird vibes from Hanger's injury. Similarly, I'm glad to know it wasn't nearly as bad as it looked in the moment. I forget where exactly I saw it, but someone said Moxley mouthed "15 seconds away," so they had to be thisclose to the finish. No matter what, kudos to everyone for keeping that closing angle together.

MJF, bloody hell. Talk about a million dollar promo. I can't call what he did "babyfacing himself to the crowd," but you want him to succeed, even if he is a giant asshole to everyone. He is incredible when it comes to timing and inflection - putting his trainers over unironically, stage-muttering curses at Regal and just breathing fire in a way that feels REAL. And the smug snake Regal takes it all, then gets his heat back beautifully. All with neither guy putting a finger on the other one. I have no earthly idea where this is going, but it's going to be immense. 

If MJF's Malenko story was true... hoo boy. Not a good look for the man of 1,000 holds.

MJF is the walking definition of the "unreliable narrator"

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1 minute ago, JLowe said:

MJF is the walking definition of the "unreliable narrator"

Funny you say that (and thank you for the opening to get my weird theory out), but MJF's booking lately has reminded me of the trend lately in Hollywood of giving every villain a tragic backstory. Joker, Cruella, Thanos, Magneto, hell, Phantom Menace for an older example. I can't tell if they're feeling out a face turn or just giving us an understanding of why MJF is the way he is. I think I'd actually prefer the latter. I still don't find the guy sympathetic, but I guess maybe I understand him more, maybe? That's why I'm confused with his booking lately. It doesn't scream "face turn" to me, it reads more like giving a villain an origin story.

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2 minutes ago, JLowe said:

MJF is the walking definition of the "unreliable narrator"

He has burned everyone who has made the mistake of believing him so far. Unless it was taking 10 powerbombs from Wardlow, nothing really has happened that should have brought any sort of fundamental change in his behaviour or character. If this turns out to be another one of his ruses, people will believe his bullshit about as much as they buy Kreml's bullshit at this point! ...So, about 50/50 (shit, that was not the point I was going for here).

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53 minutes ago, Zimbra said:

I also thought he had a shoulder thing but I'm pretty sure I was conflating him with Kenny Omega.

Adam Cole has had a labrum issue since the Hangman feud. He possibly got a concussion against Samoa Joe at Double Or Nothing but it wasn't confirmed or anything, was kept out of the ring for a month, and then got a concussion in the four way IWGP title match at Forbidden Door.

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What happened to Hangman Adam Page acts as a reminder to us all the risks wrestlers put themselves through for the love of Wrestling and the fans. The physicality and danger. Respect to all who step through those ropes. There's wrestlers you like and those you don't but I still wouldn't wish injuries on the latter group.

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12 hours ago, Sammo~! said:

I'm just going to come out and say it: Toni Storm's Jimmy Hart's Barracuda is my most hated theme in wrestling currently. 

Having listened to it three times now,  I have changed my mind.  That song sounds like a Vixen knockoff so it rules.

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4 minutes ago, DEAN said:

Having listened to it three times now,  I have changed my mind.  That song sounds like a Vixen knockoff so it rules.

To me, it sounds like an 80s action anime theme song in the style of a female hair metal band

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11 minutes ago, JLowe said:

To me, it sounds like an 80s action anime theme song in the style of a female hair metal band

It's like a Band Maid b-side.

 

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If I had a pound for every time an AEW wrestler called Adam got a concussion in a World title match, while facing someone who had used the nickname “Switchblade”, in 2022, I would have £2.

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I still have to catch up due to the Phillies overtaking my life. 

But I watched the MJF/Regal promos. They were really weird and interesting. 

MJF is such a strange performer. He's accomplished the most important goal - he is very over. So any kind of criticism of his work really needs to end up using the phrase "It's working."

But it's just so repetitive. This is literally the same concept of the Punk promo - I looked up to you when I was younger, this is how you blew me off, and this is my motivation for not liking you. The delivery is the same. It's really well delivered - there's a lot of emotion and etc. But the delivery and the theme are the same: "I'm really a victim, and now you're going to have to pay." 

I know there's the old adage that the heel always has to think that he's in the right. But that doesn't always have to get explained to us. Sometimes you just need an asshole to do bad things to people without needing to explain why.

What more motivation does MJF need in the story beyond "I want to be the king of this industry. I want to make the most money. I want to have a bidding war over my services. I want the power and prestige that comes with the title. And I will stoop to the lowest levels possible to make this happen."

It's also pretty silly because MJF's beef isn't with Regal but for the title. They could of course address this somehow (a Regal turn or some such) but I don't think we'll see that bow get tied. 

Also, I know the crowd is cheering for MJF. That doesn't mean he has to become a face. I said many times while watching Raw that the audience in many ways is a heel character in itself. (And, yes, a wrestling audience is a character in the play.) Just let MJF keep doing what he's doing, let the audience react as they want, sell some of his merch and everyone goes home happy.

Regal's end of the segment was really great. Regal might be the greatest of all-time at the acting part of wrestling. He talks about this on his podcast in how he doesn't believe in "selling" but he believes in "reacting." One of the first things they teach in acting classes (and I've taken a bunch) is the importance of reacting and how to do it organically. Regal's so good at this. It really shows in this segment as to how he listens to MJF, with eye contact and a bemused look and a posture that's ready to fight if it needs to go there.

Regal puts on a master class in the importance of cadence and knowing when to raise the volume of his voice and why. He comes off here like a stern teacher or professor disappointed in the petulant brat student. And he framed MJF as just that - a petulant whiny brat who hasn't really done anything beyond assaulting Tony and getting a lot of cheap heat and paying people to do his dirty work and doesn't have the guts to take Regal out when he dares him to. It's an accurate portrayal of MJF's character, but I don't think that's really what we want MJF's character to be.

They did a good job at the end improvising the set-up, even though it feels like it was the natural plot point. 

I think it makes good sense if they go one of two ways:

1) MJF tries to earn it by wrestling clean against Moxley... only he doesn't have what it takes to do so, and he has to become a true villain to make it happen. And maybe he ends up learning to do so at the feet of William Regal, one of the greatest villains of them all.

2) MJF does something dirty to beat Moxley but does it on his own -- beyond just hitting Mox with a ring. But he does something that requires Mox to go on the vacation he was supposed to take. And from there he ascends to becoming the villain Regal dared him to become. 

What I don't want to see:
 

1) MJF beats Mox on his own and is a new AEW babyface even though he's just been a whiny brat this whole time, albeit a talented one.

2) MJF uses The Firm to win the match, and the dissension between him and The Firm was a tease all along. 

3) The firm helps MJF win the match, only MJF doesn't like what happened, and now he will go through the likes of Ethan Page to get the justice he demands. 

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I got the vibe (if they are crowning MJF at the show) that we are headed towards #2. MJF “earns it” by cheating his ass off and does something awful to Mox to win it, but he does it all on his own. 

Or he tries that, he fails, he uses the Firm to win after all and I guess the moral of the story is….he’s a shitty heel? I dunno. 

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30 minutes ago, Greggulator said:

3) The firm helps MJF win the match, only MJF doesn't like what happened, and now he will go through the likes of Ethan Page to get the justice he demands. 

Feel like this is the most interesting way forward.

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I'm honestly surprised so many aren't aware that Adam Cole has been out this whole time with a concussion. Can't imagine what it's like for him. He's still on Twitch and everything, but I'm guessing he probably still has headaches or at worst, vision or other neurological issues. 

As for MJF, I still don't know what to think. I'm kinda surprised he's being cheered as much as he is because 1) I think his delivery which is almost all screaming really sucks and 2) It feels to me this whole time that he's been the same heel MJF and is just being who he says he is - the devil. It's like he has the inverse of what John Cena and Roman Reigns had. There are times where even MJF looks surprised at the reaction he's getting and then it's almost like he says fuck it and just pushes the envelope even harder.

MJF winning at Full Gear also feels too obvious now to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if Mox still won just to drive home to MJF that he should do everything the MJF way. I could then almost see MJF attacking Renee to goad Moxley into a rematch on tv and that's where MJF wins the title.

If not that and if MJF is winning at Full Gear, then I guess I'd rather MJF won by going harder and dirtier than Moxley. Even then, if Moxley lost and then went off on vacation, it would be weird. When Moxley lost to Kenny, we wound up seeing those two in an extended feud and a rematch in a "exploding" barbed wire "death match." 

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