Go2Sleep Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 3 minutes ago, Log said: There's a history in wrestling of it being hard to book a lackey when they break away from their shitty boss. Virgil, Damien Sandow and Wardlow (I'm sure I'm forgetting someone else) all had big responses when they finally had enough, but then the real work begins. Batista did alright. I'd actually point to Kidman as a success too, oddly moreso than Saturn who was the one really feuding with Raven. The secret is getting a strong, consistent push. You also have to consider if the lackey has real singles potential or is primarily getting over because the shitty boss has all the charisma, which I would say was definitely the case with Virgil and Mizdow. Wardlow seems to be on the Orton path where he clearly has potential and will probably get there some day, but the booking in the months after his big moment clearly isn't working to his strengths and is holding him back. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Octopus Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 5 minutes ago, Go2Sleep said: Wardlow seems to be on the Orton path where he clearly has potential and will probably get there some day, but the booking in the months after his big moment clearly isn't working to his strengths and is holding him back. Should we call him Batiston or Ortista? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go2Sleep Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 "Ortista" sounds like Ortiz doing a Batista parody as a low-card comedy act. Might get him on a show once in a while. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakk_Sabbath Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 (edited) 5 minutes ago, Go2Sleep said: "Ortista" sounds like Ortiz doing a Batista parody as a low-card comedy act. Might get him on a show once in a while. I was just wondering about Ortiz's status to myself the other day. I know Santana is still probably hurt/rehabbing and there's possibly some sort of personal issue between the guys, but even if it can't be both PnP guys, I think Ortiz would fit really nicely as a Kingston/Elite ally for the BCC/Takeshita program. Another great spot for him I could see right now would be backing up Sammy against JAS as sort of a mini Inner Circle wrap-up story Edited June 19, 2023 by Zakk_Sabbath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVA Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 I think the problem with keeping Wardlow the strong, silent type is that AEW is a promo company. If you’re not a competent talker, you’re not getting near the top. So if that’s where AEW and Wardlow want him to be, he’s gotta just get out there and get reps, take his lumps, and get better. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheVileOne Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 I think Wardlow’s problem is when he tried to cut that sad sympathetic babyface promo he sounded lost. 4 hours ago, Matt D said: You should have heard the international feed. What happened there? Did they stay silent during the commercial breaks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakk_Sabbath Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 (edited) 6 minutes ago, EVA said: I think the problem with keeping Wardlow the strong, silent type is that AEW is a promo company. If you’re not a competent talker, you’re not getting near the top. So if that’s where AEW and Wardlow want him to be, he’s gotta just get out there and get reps, take his lumps, and get better. I don't disagree entirely, but to play devil's advocate for a moment, Takeshita is positioned VERY strongly right now with Callis doing his talking for him - I see no real reason why Arn couldn't be that for Wardlow Edit: Not even necessarily Arn! A future heel Wardlow with Stoke would be awesome - and thinking further, Wardlow and Big Bill as a monster team could be really something (not that I'm advocating to preclude either from a singles push in earnest) Edited June 19, 2023 by Zakk_Sabbath 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 3 minutes ago, TheVileOne said: What happened there? Did they stay silent during the commercial breaks? It seemed like he was confused at when to send it off to PiP and when to come back. And he'd send it off twice quite a few times. Then they'd get quiet, so I'm not sure if there were three different feeds he had to deal with or what. As for Wardlow, I'd suggest people check out his interview on Matt Hardy's podcast. Or some other media appearances he's done. There really is something there and a reason to continue to invest in him. He's just got to figure out how to be a vulnerable superheavyweight babyface ace which is not easy! It's a hard balance. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphman 3000 Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zimbra Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 2 minutes ago, Matt D said: It seemed like he was confused at when to send it off to PiP and when to come back. And he'd send it off twice quite a few times. Then they'd get quiet, so I'm not sure if there were three different feeds he had to deal with or what. As for Wardlow, I'd suggest people check out his interview on Matt Hardy's podcast. Or some other media appearances he's done. There really is something there and a reason to continue to invest in him. He's just got to figure out how to be a vulnerable superheavyweight babyface ace which is not easy! It's a hard balance. I think what was going on was he would do a send-off to PiP, and then while they were in PiP do a send-off into an actual commercial break, which Excalibur and the gang don't acknowledge and just talk through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuntmanCrowley Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 11 minutes ago, Dolphman 3000 said: Some men just want to watch the world burn...... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E. Dynamite Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 (edited) I'm of the opinion that Wardlow is currently a dude with an upper-midcard ceiling who has stumbled every chance he's had to elevate beyond that - the biggest problem being that I think he WANTS to be this vulnerable, relatable babyface instead of a massive meat mountain. Yeah it's mainly the mystique-destroying promos. The booking has been chaotic to say the least and I'll contend that the MJF disaster was really shitty and unfair, but I feel like he coulda got his heat back if he could speak with enough fire. But it's more than him being a sub-Batista promo, look at his offense - he does a cute, Dragon Ball Z-referencing lariat that takes a million years to set up. He has two or three Jeff Hardy tribute spots he has to work into every match. Remember that indyrific knee thing he was doing before the powerbombs? I think they put him with Arn so they can run a character arc in which Wardlow learns to be a "killer" while having a viable mouthpiece, but thus fan Arn's been used to elicit the same kind of sympathy that's been hurting the cause post-MJF. I'm not saying turn Wardlow heel again, but nobody wants him to be anything beyond a murder machine. I also think Wardlow's never looked like a bigger deal than when he almost beat CM Punk, so keep him as a Collision guy and see if a storyline doesn't emerge organically. Edited June 19, 2023 by John E. Dynamite 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakk_Sabbath Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 23 minutes ago, John E. Dynamite said: also think Wardlow's never looked like a bigger deal than when he almost beat CM Punk, so keep him as a Collision guy and see if a storyline doesn't emerge organically. Thought about this for a few minutes - it's risky and probably too early to abort the current Wardlow mision, but what about a Punk/MJF double-turn where Wardlow backs up Punk initially, and down the line we sort of get a redux on Wardlow turning on MJF, but this time it's on Punk (who I will say, despite my bitching about him, he'd be a set of much more capable hands here than MJF was, plane ticket debacle aside) - then have him plant MJF too after a brief moment of obnoxious celebrating, and him thinking Wardlow's 'come home.' Now you've got your big killer standing tall over two top stars, and he's a total lone wolf - no need for him to talk because his MO explains itself, just silently Goldberg him to the stratosphere. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordi the former AEW fan Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 5 hours ago, Craig H said: ...lately your attitude sucks. ... try and not be a snarky dick. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Octopus Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 8 hours ago, Gordlow said: Pictured below: just a dude. Needs an eyepatch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 Speaking of commercial breaks 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLowe Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 Well shit, I apparently did not successfully use my Directv app to record Collision (or small possibility my wife was DVRing too many shows at the same time). Skye Blue gets her big win, Andrade and Miro back... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 Did Meltzer give Luchasaurus vs Wardlow 5 stars of was I just seeing things? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystman Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 9 hours ago, Gordlow said: Pictured below: just a dude. Won't lie. He looks a lot like Bron Breakker here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zendragon Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 As far as Luchasaurus in the HOSSWEIGHT MEAT SLAPPING DIVISION put me down as 100% FOR IT! certainly didn’t expect him to win the belt here! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 (edited) Edited June 20, 2023 by The Natural 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AxB Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 He's changed his tune https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPV9xjq6IcA Content warning for Punk being homophobic and sexist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goitre Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 Looks like three photos of Phil Brooks and a video of heel CM Punk. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SturmCRF Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 (edited) 35 minutes ago, AxB said: He's changed his tune https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPV9xjq6IcA Content warning for Punk being homophobic and sexist Which is a good thing, right? People can change, and also he's playing a heel here, maybe a year or two before the consensus changed to where you can't say bigoted things even in character. He could well still be a real piece of shit in a lot of ways, some would argue he has repeatedly proved he is, but I don't see any reason to think he's being insincere about supporting LGBTQ+ and women's rights. And if he is, if more influential people vocally supported those rights in the way he's been doing, even while secretly not meaning it, the world would still be a better place. Edited June 20, 2023 by SturmCRF 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 You can also be [a progressive thinker] and still be an a-hole. They aren't mutually exclusive. (Trust me on this one) 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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