AEW Dynamite - 1/11/2023

[Cobra Commander]

11 hours ago, DreamBroken said:

I thought they would've done it the same way as Saraya herself debuted with a post-match save for the big pop. (Debuted Sept. 21 but didn't actually wrestle until November 19th)

Although Sasha/Mercedes doesn’t have the “can she really bump without her neck dissolving into dust” stigma that Saraya had.

[DEAN]

I could go for Yuta trying to get revenge for MOX on Hangman.

 

[Craig H]

Loved, loved, loved Dynamite. Everything about it I loved. Before I even talk about anything that happened in ring, I thought the actual "look" of the photography for the show was new, different, and really freaking good. It still had a glossy, HD look, but there was something different to the look where it almost had this film/movie look to it. I felt that really added to the show. Either that, or it looked the same to everyone else and my TV got an update I wasn't aware of and changed some settings. The walls along the ring looked cool. And that crowd was like the extra person in each match. Dynamite has been on a damn near legendary run of shows with ultra hot crowds and this dates back to, what, maybe a week after Full Gear? So from pre-Thanksgiving on they've been out of this world.

Glad they opened with Moxley vs Hangman beating the shit out of each other. HANGMAN IS A MAN DAMMIT AND HE WILL KNOCK YOU THE FUCK OUT! Someone in the booth must have gotten a little worried Hangman was gonna do another "IS THAT ALL YOU GOT MOTHERFUCKER?!" because when he popped up and got in Mox's face the entire audio went silent. Loved Hangman coming out as the better man and showing he can put ultimate tough guy, Jon Moxley, out.

ADAM COLE BAY BAY! Now that was a good surprise. I had been so worried about him because he's been gone for about forever. Now the big risk is to see what happens when he's back in a ring, but I think he'll be ok there too. I know just recently he had been training Chris Denker (YouTube guy who does videos for all of the wrestling games) in the ring so I figured a return to AEW was a matter of finding a story for him.

Paul Walter Hauser, serious actor, is still something I'm getting used to. I think the next weirdest thing would be seeing Badger from Breaking Bad as a serious actor and winning awards. This was the one segment from Dynamite I didn't like though, and only because there subtly doing this dissension among the ranks thing with the Best Friends.

Look, I get the criticism for MJF's promo, but the crowd was super hot and I took it as MJF not really needing to try that hard to get heat from the audience. Takeshita telling MJF to kiss his ass and then the match with Danielson was outstanding. And then next week we get Danielson vs Bandido?! Holy shit. Is there going to be anything of Danielson left by the time he gets to MJF? This is feeling like Danielson getting through a bunch of dream opponents before he calls it a career.

I'm not sure why people are having a hard time wrapping their brains around this whole angle with Saraya and company. It seems like they're obviously positioning Saraya as the heel, not Shida or Storm, while JAMIE MOTHERFUCKIN HAYTER and Britt get to finally be full fledged faces. BTW, have I mentioned how much I adore everything Hayter does? As bummed as I was that Kris' knee blew up, it did give us this Hayter run, which is maybe my favorite run by a women's champion in AEW. 

HOOK DID IT! HE THREW BIG BILL AROUND LIKE HE WAS 7 FOOT NOTHIN'. That ruled so hard. HOOK RULES THE FUCKING WORLD! And look, yeah, it sucks that the ball was somewhat dropped with Wardlow and he needs to be repackaged, but Hook is right here to pick up the scraps.

All I wanted from the main event was no one to die and not only did no one die, but it felt like the match was a total sprint with everyone hitting their shit perfectly. It was the best video game pro wrestling match ever.

[Matt D]

1 hour ago, DEAN said:

Ahem.  The Great Muta held BOTH the NWA World Title and he beat STING to win the NWA TV Title. Here is all the titles Kabuki held in the US:

Being wrong gets him more heat! It got me some.

[Raziel]

2 minutes ago, Matt D said:

Being wrong gets him more heat! It got me some.

Actually, you were only wrong on Muta (and seriously, by the time he won the NWA World Title, it was below secondary to WCW's)

You were right about everyone else never winning the BIG belt.  

[Shartnado]

14 hours ago, zendragon said:

Tony faking us out by making us thing he was introducing MJF was nice

Yeah, but it was also totally within his character, as he has not gotten along with Cole since his arrival, due to the Britt friendship.

[Pete]

Amazing how when you build up and protect Wrestler A with win after win after win for years, it means a whole bunch when Wrestler B beats him clean as a sheet. Huh.

Agreed about "Take-a-shit-a" being low hanging fruit. But they could've saved it by having Soup ask MJF if he knew what "Emm Jay Eff" meant in Japanese... cover both mics... and then just whisper something in MJF's ear to make him sell it like crazy. And then NEVER have him reveal what it was.

Along similar lines, Andretti's material was good but his delivery needs work. After Jericho started going in on him going back to the minors, I was waiting for Andretti to say something like "shut up before I pin you again, Dad." 

Everyone is sleeping like itsy bitsy babies on the Bucks rocking SHAQNOSIS! Up there with the Big Hurt shoes for my money.

[zendragon]

4 hours ago, Log said:

MJF is like Bob Dylan to me. Everyone rages about Dylan's lyrics (MJF's promo ability), and that's good and all, but I really am more impressed with what he does musically (in-ring).

I thought Punk chasing MJF all over the building in that six man was actually great pro wrestling. so few modern wrestlers will commit to fully wrestling heel. Everyone just gets their high spots in

 

3 hours ago, DEAN said:

I could go for Yuta trying to get revenge for MOX on Hangman.

 

its nice when the prowrestling show sticks to ts own logic isn't it

[Dolphman 3000]

I couldn't tell if everyone in the JAS promo was yelling into the mic because the acoustics in The Forum were horrible and they couldn't hear themselves, or because they've been partying nonstop since the PWG show and they all lost their voices

Edited January 12, 2023 by Dolphman 3000

[Infinit]

That was an almost perfect 2 hours of pro wres. 

️️️️️

[Pete]

19 minutes ago, zendragon said:

I thought Punk chasing MJF all over the building in that six man was actually great pro wrestling. so few modern wrestlers will commit to fully wrestling heel. Everyone just gets their high spots in

Oh yeah. That's one of the things I love about MJF: he knows when to get his heat, and when not to. His instincts are top-notch.

[elizium]

3 hours ago, Shartnado said:

Yeah, but it was also totally within his character, as he has not gotten along with Cole since his arrival, due to the Britt friendship.

You'll know that Cole has officially gone face when he has a moment with Tony and says something like "I know we haven't gotten along, but Britt says you're cool" and then fistbumps him or something

[Andrew POE!]

6 hours ago, Matt D said:

The path with MJF is to use truths. I'd be much more interested in hearing something like:

"Takeshita, huh? Everyone's real excited about you. They were excited about Muta too. Excited about Kabuki. Excited about Liger. Excited about Nakamura. Guess what none of them ever did? They never won the big one. Never won the championship here in a major US wrestling promotion like I did. And you'll never do it." Then knock the fans for blindly liking Japanese wrestling and put over the fact he's the champ and that means him and his style of wrestling is the best and they're all sheep, etc. etc.. 

There are ways to be edgy, to play to history and insider-ness, and still make it work kayfabe. 

That's a better promo than what MJF could come up with. I didn't watch the latest promo/video on YouTube with MJF because I'm at the 'waiting until TK sees the ratings take a dump with MJF and pulls the title off of him' phase. MJF would be great doing a show at a gym in Sherman Oaks CA with 100 people at this point. He's just not ready nor will he ever be.

Jeff Jarrett blasted Max Caster on his podcast and said his trainers at Create A Pro were terrible but maybe he should have lumped MJF in there too (unless MJF is being all buddy buddy with Jarrett which is blinding him).

[John from Cincinnati]

Jarrett's a heel with no issue with MJF. He was also responding to what would be the obvious retort people would have to him talking shit about Create A Pro. Made perfect sense to me. 

[Andrew POE!]

1 minute ago, John from Cincinnati said:

Jarrett's a heel with no issue with MJF. He was also responding to what would be the obvious retort people would have to him talking shit about Create A Pro. Made perfect sense to me. 

Oh I know. Maybe Jarrett can restart Global Force Wrestling and take MJF with him and take Ronda Rousey too so I don't have to see all three on TV anymore.

[Bryan]

1 minute ago, Andrew POE! said:

That's a better promo than what MJF could come up with. I didn't watch the latest promo/video on YouTube with MJF because I'm at the 'waiting until TK sees the ratings take a dump with MJF and pulls the title off of him' phase. MJF would be great doing a show at a gym in Sherman Oaks CA with 100 people at this point. He's just not ready nor will he ever be.

Jeff Jarrett blasted Max Caster on his podcast and said his trainers at Create A Pro were terrible but maybe he should have lumped MJF in there too (unless MJF is being all buddy buddy with Jarrett which is blinding him).

You would have preferred MJF cut a promo full of factual inaccuracies?

The cool heel is a lame archetype that needs to be excised from wrestling. The NWO was novel and interesting in the late 90’s but not anymore. Heels should be obnoxious, annoying, and you should be itching for them to get their asses kicked.

But if he does go to Sherman Oaks, hopefully he takes the Young Bucks with him. Since they clearly don’t draw ratings, have matches with contrived spots that make a mockery of the rules, have terrible off and on selling, and turn Kenny Omega (who like him or not is a star in Japan) into a goober on American television. 

[Andrew POE!]

2 minutes ago, Bryan said:

You would have preferred MJF cut a promo full of factual inaccuracies?

The cool heel is a lame archetype that needs to be excised from wrestling. The NWO was novel and interesting in the late 90’s but not anymore. Heels should be obnoxious, annoying, and you should be itching for them to get their asses kicked.

But if he does go to Sherman Oaks, hopefully he takes the Young Bucks with him. Since they clearly don’t draw ratings, have matches with contrived spots that make a mockery of the rules, have terrible off and on selling, and turn Kenny Omega (who like him or not is a star in Japan) into a goober on American television. 

I prefer MJF to go away forever and cut promos to no one, so if he cuts a promo full of factual inaccuracies that speeds it up even better.

[John from Cincinnati]

12 minutes ago, Andrew POE! said:

Oh I know. Maybe Jarrett can restart Global Force Wrestling and take MJF with him and take Ronda Rousey too so I don't have to see all three on TV anymore.

Why are we pretending Jarrett won't be running AEW in six months?

[Firebreaker Chip]

This was the ninth consecutive Dynamite where Tazz used the term "yambag" at least once. The streak almost ended, but then he said it during the main event.

[John from Cincinnati]

7 minutes ago, Firebreaker Chip said:

This was the ninth consecutive Dynamite where Tazz used the term "yambag" at least once. The streak almost ended, but then he said it during the main event.

One assumes that ten Dynamites ago, Taz had the week off. 

[zendragon]

29 minutes ago, Bryan said:

You would have preferred MJF cut a promo full of factual inaccuracies?

 

A bad guy in wrestling cuts a promo full of hyperbole and lies?

https://media4.giphy.com/media/C1hkIcGE7OAcE/giphy.gif

[droneking]

Sure Paul Walter Hauser is cool , but...

Spoiler

https://twitter.com/SilverNumber1/status/1613368926544728067?s=20&t=i29JDsdMakU_NT8TscAmbQ

https://twitter.com/Brodyxking/status/1613366756458004480?s=20&t=tlv4nngv402_K6NeILTHjA

https://twitter.com/DanhausenAD/status/1613377363232051201?s=20&t=tlv4nngv402_K6NeILTHjA

 

[HarryArchieGus]

Magical television! Wild Thing! The great Hangman original. And Shit’s on! That Deadeye in slo-mo made me concerned for Mox. What a glorious war! (I am so thankful for the) Clean solid finish. No need for anything but. It works to make me even more excited for the rubber match. Adam Cole comes out for yet another in AEW’s growing canon of naturally beautiful dramatic moments. I’m reminded momentarily of that great Punk promo after Moxley went to rehab. I will miss Cole’s excellent Frank TJ Mackey heel routine. Then JungleHook v BilLee totally hits the mark. I love a good build to a Suplex. Good clean fun. I very much like the work (I’ve seen) of Paul Walter Hauser. His performance in ‘I, Tonya’ is incredible. I liked the Eastwood movie too. On a Renee show archive I listened to today he spoke about wanting to make a 4 Horsemen movie. He suggested he would play Arn. I love the thought of this! I hope he gets to deliver something a little better than this promo on the Friday show. Then MJF goes all Don Rickles. Some pretty tasteless stuff that might not be the best represention for this company. Why on earth would they book a sequence where MJF tells Takeshita to get out of the ring and he does actually that? Weird blunder. I mostly did like Max's promo, and I entirely loved Danielson v Takeshita. Danielson falling and grabbing his chest after one of those brutal chops lent some worry for a moment. What a sell! The Brainbuster on the floor was unreal. I love the talk of Takeshita moving up the card shortly. He’s clearly a special talent. I wonder how Callis fits here? I love Don, and the idea, but is turning Konsuke heel the right move? I’ve never really cared for Juice Robinson. The whole Rock Hard bullshit is probably better not said on this TV. I am looking forward to seeing what Robinson can muster up against (arguably the best wrestler in the company) Darby. I liked the Women’s Tag, but it seemed like it could have used more of a definitive turn. I was hoping for the double turn like others were 'Mercedes Muh-nay'. I sense a great heel in both Saraya and Toni. I do potentially like what they’re doing with Shida here. A freshening up is well in order. (Hey Mansury) the Eddie Kingston Ortiz video seemed off, even out of sync. Some strange choices there. I'm not into the story here anymore than anything else House of Black does outside the ring. Regardless, looking forward to the tag bout. I hope we get a Black-Kingston singles bout. The JAS-Starks promo was pretty hit and miss. I love Menard and Parker. Tay too. Starks has always been a guy with great fire and flow to his talk, but too often the talking points are WEAK. His confidence is strong enough to carry him thru, but he needs to cut out the tone deaf bullshit. Also, the constant reasoning for everything being because he's ‘Absolute’. I trust he’ll bounce back. I like Ricky. Garcia was pretty fun here. Action Andretti did pretty well, but his act is going to get booed as this earlier era ‘white meat babyface’. LA was a good crowd, certainly better than average but not quite as hot as the hotter cities (I can’t name them all, but sat in with one of them). I dearly love Pac, Rey Fenix, Penta, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson and Kenny Omega. And I very very much loved this match. It’s hard to believe they just pulled off 7 fucking matches at this level and this fresh! Unfuckingbelievable! AEdub just rolling along with spectacular weekly television.

[zendragon]

Don Calis is a face at the moment because Kenny if a face

[Andrew POE!]

I watched the "promo" MJF did. It's 2023 and we got someone doing culturally insensitive jokes about Takeshita's use of English and about his last name. It would be like someone making jokes about MJF's Jewish heritage in a promo and the direction that could go in....he wouldn't like that either. But I guess he's at a point where he's grasping for anything for heel heat. None of that crap he did would have passed at WWE and would have gotten him a one-way trip to 205 Live or NXT Level Up or WWE Main Event and counting the number of lights in the rafters.

Bandido is next week so great, we'll probably see MJF making insensitive jokes about his heritage too. Hopefully someone at WBD will grab Tony Khan by the arm and tell him to get his champion to straighten out or they'll lose sponsors.