The Natural Posted May 26, 2023 Share Posted May 26, 2023 Most looking forward to Britt Baker/Hikaru Shida vs. Nyla Rose/Marina Shafir. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted May 26, 2023 Author Share Posted May 26, 2023 @NikoBaltimore. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordi the former AEW fan Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 Man. Show's been over for at least three hours and ZERO of us have commented on it. Is that some kind of record for an AEW TV show? I have to admit, I tapped out less than half way through. Just wasn't feeling it today. More so: I have to work Monday morning and won't be watching Double or Nothing live, and so the hype for the PPV was bumming me out, mildly. Probably shouldn't have watched the podcast on YouTube before Rampage... Hopefully I'll at least be able to catch the Anarchy match after the fact. Not too hyped for the show, otherwise. Also, probably not going to Dominion this year. Cobb vs ZSJ and Ospreay vs Archer both look good... Guess it's just a "me" thing. Hopefully I'll get my hype back for Forbidden Door. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted May 27, 2023 Author Share Posted May 27, 2023 4 hours ago, Gordlow said: Man. Show's been over for at least three hours and ZERO of us have commented on it. Has to be, bud. If Rampage falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted May 27, 2023 Author Share Posted May 27, 2023 4 hours ago, Gordlow said: Man. Show's been over for at least three hours and ZERO of us have commented on it. Has to be, bud. It'll probably be like that when Collision comes along taking (WCW) Thunder ;). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 I’ll get there. Card looks fun. Still have an hour of ROH left. Too much fun wrestling is always better than too little. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AxB Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 I at least have the excuse of the Fite showing for some reason being 2 hours later than the TNT one. So, 5am UK time. Plus apparently the premiere was only available in Spanish. It was an OK show, but petered out. Lee and Bill beating Best Friends should have been made a big deal of, but they had to get to the post-match "Everyone in the battle royal has a big brawl" spot, which lacked the out of control chaos aspect you would like it to have. Perhaps because a lot of the guys who got entrances to run-in, just sort of strolled down there. Ethan Gunns beat three nameless guys. Britt and Shida vs Nyla and Marina was a bit disjointed, but Britt and Marina both tend towards disjointment, so putting them together was always going to flirt with clumsiness. Bill Gunn has really mastered the art of milking everything for maximum crowd reaction. Like he took ten seconds to even tag himself in because he got the fans to do a big WooooooOOOOOAAAA for it. And then before doing any moves, he first stopped the match so he could build to his pop for taking his shirt off. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLowe Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 I had a long rough week and was exhausted Friday night, went to bed at 8:30 but also was not particularly excited for this card. Acclaimed-HoB huh. Could be interesting, wonder what the dealers choice will be. Decent trios match, would be more interested in some Rush-Bowens singles maybe. Gunns and Ethan Page are almost a natural faction in retrospect. Squash. I know it’s been said by the late great DEAN and others but Austin Gunn really is Brian Christopher redux. Such a natural nepo baby heel. Womens tag was a mess, no surprise there. Main was a shocker in terms of Big Bill getting a clean pin on Best Friends, not how I saw the pecking order. Although the way the announcers were talking about the longevity of the Best Friends team seems like foreshadowing. I’m glad that AEW has seen the potential of the Moriarty-Big Bill team and giving them a push, they’re working really well together and their personalities really mesh well. Post-match brawl was a natural go-home thing but I mostly leaned on the FFWD. I wish OC wasn’t in the match because I would like to have someone like Swerve win and then have a title match later...maybe on the first Collision. I was considering going to a theater to see the PPV but tickets are over $30 with taxes and fees and when I looked there were two tickets sold, so it’s not like I would be in a huge group of fans. Cheaper to watch at home with a six-pack of local craft. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zendragon Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 4 hours ago, AxB said: It was an OK show, but petered out. Lee and Bill beating Best Friends should have been made a big deal of, but they had to get to the post-match "Everyone in the battle royal has a big brawl" spot, which lacked the out of control chaos aspect you would like it to have. Perhaps because a lot of the guys who got entrances to run-in, just sort of strolled down there. my new name for the Dustin - Keith Lee team 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 Ok, I'm here. LFI vs Acclaimed/Gunn: We live in strange times when we get to see RUSH vs Billy Gunn. If you told me that would have been a thing back in 2014, I would have imagined Gunn super over in Arena Mexico as the new Marco Corleone dialing numbers on his abs. I thought Bowens and Dralistico matched up ok. The best act in AEW and AEW-adjacent programming is Athena. But LFI opening up a match by throwing everyone into the guardrails chaotically is pretty damn great. Finishing stretch probably needed just a little more focus? Page/Gunns vs Enhancement Talent: I liked Page whipping them the guy into the 3:10 to Yuma because Page has the deal where he whips guys into his own power slam but in general, we saw a bunch more teamwork/chemistry with the Righteous/Stu the other day (Yes, I watched ROH, can you tell?). You can't deny that the Gunns are much more credible than they were a year ago. The title run helped them without hurting things too, too much. Britt/Shida vs Nyla/Shafir: Still lamenting the loss of Shida's theme. Britt got a pop from the tired crowd. Shafir really should be working the house show loops. I'm happy for her now that Strong is there and I'd be curious to see something with them together at some point. Cole/Britt vs Strong/Shafir could be interesting someday. If Rocky Romero uses Sneaky Style, Shafir uses Stilted Style, and yeah, it's not smooth, but it always feels awkwardly competitive in its own way, which is actually better than collaboratively smooth like you get from a good chunk of the roster, even if just barely. Nyla had the great laugh as she was choking Britt from the corner and posted on twitter how happy she was with it. I still think she should be putting over an ascendant Willow on the pre-show! I liked the finishing stretch here, everything from Nyla slamming Shida onto Britt to break up a pin to Shida saving Britt from the knee to some of the Britt vs Marina stuff which worked better than their initial exchange, to Shafir yelling for Nyla (taken out) to help her as she was about to get double teamed and lose the match. Best Friends vs Bill/Lee: Lee's histrionics just don't work. I think he's improved a ton in the last year and a half but that's more with the aggression than the character. I like the idea of character but the dancing and the air guitar just aren't hitting. I'm not sure what would. TRENT always has a chip on his shoulder and an edge to him. They should turn them heel someday no matter how counterintuitive that might be on paper. He has such a unique way of hitting German suplexes where he lift the guy up as high as he can and drops him straight down. Bill could really be a break out guy on the new show. If Punk goes heel, he'd be a good heater actually. Jericho ripped Mil Mascaras for eliminating himself from the royal rumble and being a jerk during the commercial break. Bill's Bossman slam was good but not as good as Dutch's from ROH this week. Then he took the double superplex. Anyway, he should have a good showing tomorrow. Post match wasn't the best choreography they ever had. Show was pretty solid overall though. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLowe Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 (edited) OK @Matt Dwhat if they replicate the "Nyla steals the TBS belt and defends it" angle that was the most interesting thing done with that belt in 18 months, but add in Nyla taunting Willow saying something "You don't deserve a belt like this!". edit to add: I love the Moriarty dance and guitar. The way Bill interacts when he's doing it adds a lot and shows their unique chemistry. I think my favorite time was during a squash when Lee looked to the corner and Bill mimed tossing a guitar to Lee, who "catches" it and starts playing, then "tosses" it back to Bill. Edited May 27, 2023 by JLowe 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryArchieGus Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 (edited) Rumpidge baby! Acclaimed/Daddy Arse v LFI was a solid opener. And the crowd goes BANANA for Billy taking off his t-shirt! Could've used a little more aggression and less cooperation from Roosh here. The Gunns/Page v The Enhancers was alright. I kinda liked seeing the heels manhandle some j-bro'N'z. I dig Page, the Gunns, the Hardys and Hook, but the creative/production/presentation of this and the previous Firm feud feels like 'Total Nonstop Action'. Am I wrong to blame the dull pencil of Matt? Dustin/Keith Lee promo was fine. Er, did 'the Natural' miss the memo? Or did they suddenly decide to make the Battle Royal not for the title, but for a shot at the title? The lack of attention to detail with this promo is indicative of the lack of attention to detail with this whole show. And weekly. Baker/Shida v Shafir/Nyla was, umm, really really awesome, I totally didn't fast forward right on by. I prefer to read MattD's review of this match than actually watch it. Oops, did I miss an Outcasts segment. 3 hours ago, Matt D said: Britt/Shida vs Nyla/Shafir: Still lamenting the loss of Shida's theme. Britt got a pop from the tired crowd. Shafir really should be working the house show loops. I'm happy for her now that Strong is there and I'd be curious to see something with them together at some point. Cole/Britt vs Strong/Shafir could be interesting someday. If Rocky Romero uses Sneaky Style, Shafir uses Stilted Style, and yeah, it's not smooth, but it always feels awkwardly competitive in its own way, which is actually better than collaboratively smooth like you get from a good chunk of the roster, even if just barely. Nyla had the great laugh as she was choking Britt from the corner and posted on twitter how happy she was with it. I still think she should be putting over an ascendant Willow on the pre-show! I liked the finishing stretch here, everything from Nyla slamming Shida onto Britt to break up a pin to Shida saving Britt from the knee to some of the Britt vs Marina stuff which worked better than their initial exchange, to Shafir yelling for Nyla (taken out) to help her as she was about to get double teamed and lose the match. Totally dug the review better. I hadn't thought about Nyla v Willow, but I like it. I like it a lot! I'm okay with the video packages hosted by Mark Henry as opposed to his conducting the 'Main Event' Interviews (from time to time), but I think the Besties, Bill and Lee could have benefitted from some talking here. Besties v BilLee was alright. The work seemed good, but I just wasn't compelled to offer my focus. My mind was wandering and seemed more concerned with whether or not the standing Varsity Athletes were blocking paying customer's views? Fucking Varsity Athletes! Not that any of this tired Vegas crowd gave a shit anyway. I really like Swerve and Keith Lee, but every week their pairing is making me feel contempt for this product I genuinely love. They were a good team. Maybe they oughtta just hug it out, and finally fucking end this rotten creative. I assume no talk or info concerning the Blackjack Battle Royal means it'll be a straight shitty battle royal as opposed to Rumble rules. I'll be watching the PPV on tape delay with my good friend FFWD, so... no sweat! I don't understand why in the history of this show, and especially on a PPV go home show, they don't have the 'A List Stars' on here cutting promos? And, uh, that was Rampage (baby). Edited May 27, 2023 by HarryArchieGus 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zendragon Posted May 28, 2023 Share Posted May 28, 2023 The only person doing less work to draw a TK paycheck than Mark Henry I’d colt cobana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryArchieGus Posted May 28, 2023 Share Posted May 28, 2023 11 hours ago, zendragon said: The only person doing less work to draw a TK paycheck than Mark Henry I’d colt cobana Completely true if all Mark Henry does for his employment at AEW is host one video package or conduct one interview a week. I sense big Mark's doing more than 'meets the eye'. I'd suggest the same of 'Scott Colton'. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted May 28, 2023 Share Posted May 28, 2023 I believe Colt is doing agent work for ROH, AEW, or both. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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