AEW - APRIL 2024

[Matt D]

My Punk joke that I've been sitting on...

"Now that he's back in WWE, it's not like it was a choke anyway. It was just a rest hold."

[Just Dave]

Ahh. That makes sense. It's always been kind of a clue into CM Punk's psyche to me that Punk never publicly called Mox out after that interview Mox did. Someone reported that there was a tense moment in an airport between the two guys, but again; Punk doesn't pick fair fights. 

[Technico Support]

10 minutes ago, Matt D said:

My Punk joke that I've been sitting on...

"Now that he's back in WWE, it's not like it was a choke anyway. It was just a rest hold."

Work in a reference to the external occipital protuberance and you're golden.

[madl]

Punk interview is interesting.  Definitely worth a listen if you like fantasy stories.

[John from Cincinnati]

11 hours ago, southofheavy said:

I'm tired of CM Punk. He talks too goddamn much. 

Counterpoint: None of these people talk nearly enough and it’s refreshing finally hearing one of them speak frankly in public about any of this shit. This is newsworthy because as much as we assume this guy feels this way, he’s never said any of this in public (not in print, on video with his own voice) since the big incident because he hardly does media. He doesn’t talk too much. This stuff has festered and grown a life of its own, and it’s demystifying to hear it actually addressed. I wish the rest of the parties involved would do the same. I wish there wasn’t an NDA in place so that shit could be demystified too. 

Edited April 2 by John from Cincinnati

[jaedmc]

Hey. For AEW fans who want to talk more about the company and less about Punker, I have the following.

I lapse in and out of AEW all the time. Right now WWE is scratching the itch with their push to Mania. But that'll be over soon and I'll probably lapse out of them too.

So

What is the most interesting part of AEW TV right now?

What do you feel about the company's future in terms of storytelling and matchups?

I don't care about financials or ratings.

[John from Cincinnati]

I hate how difficult it is for me to conjure an answer to those questions. 

[EVA]

Swerve organically growing into being a main event guy and maybe the top babyface has been a lot of fun to watch, and I’m looking forward to seeing how he does as champ.

The Bucks new gimmick has been surprisingly great. The kind of refresh that Jericho used to be able to pull off.  It’s been a perfect integration point for Okada, and I can’t wait to see where he’s at 6 months from now.

Ospreay unexpectedly becoming a money promo guy really raises the ceiling on what I thought they could get out of his signing.

[Go2Sleep]

19 minutes ago, jaedmc said:

What is the most interesting part of AEW TV right now?

Men's side is Swerve and Ospreay freshening up the main event scene. Also heel Okada. Bucks have been effective in their roles, but I'm really hoping they don't get the gold.

On the women's side, you have Mercedes coming in and where she's gonna fit, but the Toni/Mariah thing is simmering right now too, and Mariah should be a breakout star herself. Statlander always has killer TV matches too.

[ExcellenceofAirPollution]

24 minutes ago, jaedmc said:

What is the most interesting part of AEW TV right now?

What do you feel about the company's future in terms of storytelling and matchups?

I don't care about financials or ratings.

All personal preference of course....

- Ospreay.  I'll tune in just to see him, every match is must see but I've been a mark for a minute.  On top of that, his presence has elevated the Callis Family a bit when they'd kind of been lost in the shuffle.  I enjoy the story there, it's unconventional but it makes sense and I don't need everything to be black and white.  He's going to split off from them soon enough, and they've set up the Callis family to be thorns in the side of both Ospreay and Swerve....who may end up with a common enemy before they face off against each other

- Okada and the Bucks.  Okada learning American TV style on the fly is pretty cool, I'm digging the Bucks in this new gimmick and the pairing is great on a few levels (it's super early and they're not even teasing it yet but you can already see the Okada face turn coming a mile away when he gets sick of the Jacksons' bullshit)

- Mercedes presentation/use hasn't been perfect but she's already injected life into the women's division.  I'm looking forward to seeing her against Willow, Skye, Julia, Stat and Anna Jay, all of which have been set up to varying degrees.  I feel like people underwhelmed so far will sing a different tune once she's in the ring.  Unless the injury robbed her of her mobility/athleticism she's going to be a huge addition

- BCG back to being heels and hopefully a Juice return right around the corner

- I was super into Swerve like.....a couple years ago now it feels like.  I kind of feel like they missed the peak of his heat and the heel/face stuff is just weird with him and hurting his responses IMO.  Crowds like him but don't always know how to react.  I should be much more into this title push than I have been

What I'm not interested in right now is anything Jericho related.  He's been one of my favorite wrestlers since 1997, there were periods I kept watching WWE mainly just to follow him, I dig Fozzy!......I just can't sugarcoat this latest babyface run.  It stinks!

[Just Dave]

40 minutes ago, jaedmc said:

Hey. For AEW fans who want to talk more about the company and less about Punker, I have the following.

I lapse in and out of AEW all the time. Right now WWE is scratching the itch with their push to Mania. But that'll be over soon and I'll probably lapse out of them too.

So

What is the most interesting part of AEW TV right now?

What do you feel about the company's future in terms of storytelling and matchups?

I don't care about financials or ratings.

For me, it's definitely the ascension of Swerve Strickland. Samoa Joe is doing a hell of a job as champ, but this is Swerve's time. It feels like they have to pull the trigger at Dynasty. 

Ospreay and Okada coming in have created a new world of fresh matches for the tv show. As much as I don't like the Bucks, sticking Okada with them was genius. 

Jay White is orbiting around the peripheral. I get the feeling they're waiting for Juice Robinson to come back to push Bullet Club to the forefront. 

The future of the company feels pretty solid to me, at least long term. They really, REALLY just need to get to the next TV deal. There are probably a dozen guys who could be a titleholder within six weeks if booked properly. If I had to pick one guy that I'm certain will just be an absolute stud, cornerstone, lottery pick guy, it's probably Takeshita. He's big, athletic, agile, handsome, and has become a really effective shitbag heel. Wheeler Yuta is another guy who's shown way more versatility than I thought he had. I enjoy the product jsut as much now as I ever have. I wish they'd get House of Black going to the tippy top, but you can't have everything.

[RazorbladeKiss87]

Two things:

The most engaging parts of AEW for me lately have been seeing Willow get pushed and the evolution of Julia Hart and Skye Blue. Swerve's rise is up there. The CMLL guys coming in was great. Danielson's legends tour. Daniel Garcia and his dancing. The interplay between the announcers. Ospreay. Okada being a great douche. I'm looking forward to Forbidden Door like crazy, just to see what we get. 

Two:

I hate the talking point that TK just wants great matches and that's horrible. I have limited free time. Sometimes I want to see great matches in a vacuum. I want wrestlers that I like to get paid well for entertaining me. If a billionaire wants to spend his money so that can happen, I welcome it. That view also does a disservice to the actual storylines occuring but the people who tout that narrative never let the truth get in the way of a "good" story. 

Edit: I forgot Brodie King. He should be getting a rocket strapped to him. He needs a video package showing footage from a God's Hate show. Let him be a big, violent scary dude on TV. 

Edited April 2 by RazorbladeKiss87

[Technico Support]

I like great matches but I really do want a reason to watch, some sort of story or stakes, outside of "these guys are going to have a great match."  And 80% of the time I don't care about how great a match is going to be if it's a JTTS match where you know exactly who is going to win.  I was legit pissed and +10'd my way completely through last week's Rampage because of this.  Imagine this diagram, but for "match quality" "stakes/story" and "uncertain outcome."

 

 

 

Edited April 2 by Technico Support

[Log]

The fact that, on any given week, we may get a Danielson dream match out of nowhere is my current favorite thing.

I'm surprised at how into Copeland I am. I wasn't really all that excited about his signing. We was (along with Cena and Orton) always "WWE personified" to me, and I wasn't looking forward to that on my AEW shows. He's been awesome, though, and I look forward to seeing his stuff with HoB.

Overall, I'd say AEW is in a transition period. As others have mentioned, there's been a recent influx of new/elevated talent. The good thing, for me, is that I'm pretty excited to see where it all goes. After Dynasty, I think we'll have a little clearer view of what's down the road.

[Octopus]

56 minutes ago, jaedmc said:

 

What is the most interesting part of AEW TV right now?

What do you feel about the company's future in terms of storytelling and matchups?

I don't care about financials or ratings.

Hey bud.

I really love that Samoa Joe is the champion. Just presence alone, he’s already my favorite one. Best person to have be the face of the main event after the calamity that was the drama year(s). 

Hangman vs Swerve. The heel-face dynamic somewhat shifting to accommodate fan reactions has been a real treat. This feud manages to do what AEW excels at which is progressing stories through matches while also had a few fun segments and promos. It’s fun seeing the rise of Swerve and also being  an interesting tale of Hangman’s insecurities turning him unlikable. Questionably tapping out early to prevent Swerve from winning was an amazing plot point.

Danielson vs Ospreay is a classic WHO DA BEST AEW story. They both faced Shibata. Yada yada yada. It’ll be good. Speaking of Ospreay, he really is surprisingly likable. I expect him to be a future face of the company if things continue.

The New Elite. The Young Bucks as money EVP villains is very fun. Plus they can stand behind Okada who feels like a big deal while also is learning the American tv shorter match style. It is a good pairing.

I haven’t been into the Mercedes segments but I feel like when the matches against Willow starts, it should be a really fun adventure.

Adam Copeland finally feels like AEW to me and not WWE. Cope Open is like all the other Derp Opens, but it was cool seeing Matt Cardona show up. Neat. 

Tag Tournament is no Continental Classic. But when it gets to the semi finals or something hopefully we get bangers.

Toni Storm does stuff and it’s fun. Same with Don Callis.

In terms of what I’m enjoying, that’s most of it. I’ll have to look at Dynasty to see what I’m forgetting. It’s been mostly fun. Some stuff I’m not really interested in and a few stories just finished up.

I hope we get a rise of Kingston after he loses all three of his belts. 

I assume we’ll see a MJF return. I haven’t been into the Cole Brigade. 

Darby is hurt. When he comes back it’ll be neat to see what he does in a post-Sting AEW. 

Jericho & Hook is kinda meh. You can tell it was maybe a double audible after Omega got hurt and Sammy was suspended. 

Jungle Boy is still in exile, so it’s a great time to be an AEW fan. He’ll likely show up again and maybe get Ospreay or Okada fired. 

Samoa Joe is still champ which is cool. Not sure if anyone’s mentioned that yet. 

[Technico Support]

I’m glad you mentioned the Bucks’ new characters.  It’s intriguing to watch them portray themselves as having some sort of power in the company while simultaneously avoiding every single heel authority figure trope.  They’re walking a fun line and I hope they can keep the gimmick going for a while, always alluding to having power while never really showing it because it might not be true.  That’s pretty cool.

Edited April 2 by Technico Support

[John from Cincinnati]

1 hour ago, Just Dave said:

Jay White is orbiting around the peripheral. I get the feeling they're waiting for Juice Robinson to come back to push Bullet Club to the forefront. 

Jay’s on the back burner because visa issues would prevent him from working in Canada. 

[odessasteps]

5 hours ago, Matt D said:

My Punk joke that I've been sitting on...

"Now that he's back in WWE, it's not like it was a choke anyway. It was just a rest hold."

As long as you don’t use someone’s tie.

[SovietShooter]

2 hours ago, Just Dave said:

Jay White is orbiting around the peripheral. I get the feeling they're waiting for Juice Robinson to come back to push Bullet Club to the forefront.

From an angle perspective, this White/Billy match this week could be interesting.  As for The match itself, 2024 Billy Gunn probably isn't bumping and selling his ass off for Jay White, so there has to be an angle coming out of this. Does Juice come back and all four of the BCG lay out the Acclaimed? Or does perhaps Juice come back and he & White lay out all of them?

[Go2Sleep]

Match wise, I think Billy is the kind of guy that Jay White gets a crafty (but mostly if not entirely clean) win against. Outside of the MJF match, Jay is pretty protected. I like the idea of a new angle where Jay wants to injure Billy like Darby but his kids can't pull the trigger. Unfortunately, this runs into an issue with the Acclaimed being left out in the cold and the fact they need to merge off the useless ROH 6-man belts so at least one set of trios titles can be defended again.

[Technico Support]

Yeah maybe we need the young guys front and center instead of international superstar and should-be top talent Jay White eking out a cheap win over a roided up fucking 60 year old who was really never any good even in his prime.  Fuuuuuuuuuck.

I hate to be so salty but this ties into @jaedmc's topic of what do you want from AEW, or what do you look forward to, or whatever.  Like somebody else said, AEW has a lot of young talent and they should be spotlighting them.  I like the Butcher but he's middle-aged and I'm not sure he'll ever get beyond what he's doing right now.  There's no reason him and Dustin, combined age of near 101, to be given 12-15 minutes on TV.  Shit, maybe make one of those 17 belts an under 30 title.  Something.

Edited April 2 by Technico Support

[SovietShooter]

37 minutes ago, Go2Sleep said:

Unfortunately, this runs into an issue with the Acclaimed being left out in the cold and the fact they need to merge off the useless ROH 6-man belts so at least one set of trios titles can be defended again.

Unless there is a plan to vacate both sets of titles.  Coach just intentionally booked the regular ol' tag titles to go vacant, so it isn't out of the realm of possibility to do something more unexpected, but my gut tells me you're right and it will just be a basic angle because of these damn titles

[SovietShooter]

10 minutes ago, Technico Support said:

Shit, maybe make one of those 17 belts an under 30 title

Kind of a tangent, but I hate gimmick championships... but I feel the issue with AEW's titles is they are all kind of redundant. Clearly the AEW World Championship is at the top at the food chain, but there is no real difference between all the other singles titles, sans the ROH Pure title. Like, I grew up with the idea that the US/IC titleholder was the defacto number one contender to the World Champion... and I don't see any kind of heiarchy like that with any of the AEW/ROH belts. None of them are realistically more important or different from one another.

If AEW has to have all these titles, they need to differentiate them.

They should've merged the ROH, NJPW Strong & AEW International titles to form the "North American Triple Crown", and then kept the TNT title as an "open challenge" title, a notch below. They should've either left the ROH TV title vacant, or kept it merged w/ TNT when Joe had both. Merge the AEW/ROH Tag & Trios titles. If you want to have a ROH exclusive title, then that can be the Pure title. Merge all the Singles women's titles, and introduce women's tag titles.  Or, maybe make the tag titles gender neutral like Lucha Underground...

[Zimbra]

2 hours ago, SovietShooter said:

From an angle perspective, this White/Billy match this week could be interesting.  As for The match itself, 2024 Billy Gunn probably isn't bumping and selling his ass off for Jay White, so there has to be an angle coming out of this. Does Juice come back and all four of the BCG lay out the Acclaimed? Or does perhaps Juice come back and he & White lay out all of them?

Billy had a shockingly good singles match with Swerve during that feud so I am cautiously optimistic about this one.

[NoFistsJustFlips]

2 hours ago, SovietShooter said:

Kind of a tangent, but I hate gimmick championships... but I feel the issue with AEW's titles is they are all kind of redundant. Clearly the AEW World Championship is at the top at the food chain, but there is no real difference between all the other singles titles, sans the ROH Pure title. Like, I grew up with the idea that the US/IC titleholder was the defacto number one contender to the World Champion... and I don't see any kind of heiarchy like that with any of the AEW/ROH belts. None of them are realistically more important or different from one another.

If AEW has to have all these titles, they need to differentiate them.

Preaching to the choir. I had a shockingly similar post in either the February or March thread where I said the show would improve with a clear hierarchy for the titles. Or at least giving them distinct identities. I got a lot of push back to that. Especially the hierarchy thought. Titles don't inherently have meaning (outside of your top title). You have to give them meaning with narrative. What separates the International Title from The Continental Title? Which is more important? Why? How does the TNT Title fit into that? It's hard to create stakes for the matches when those plot points are left unclear.