Hamhock Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 (edited) 8 minutes ago, worldcupfever said: Imagine five Villano-sized Mongos all trying to run the ropes at the same time. I have to admit I’m more intrigued by the idea of the Mongo-sized final boss Villano - a Villano Gigante, if you will - coming down to ringside wearing a jacket that says OSOS on the front, his forearms and fingers all taped up, clubbering his opponent before throwing him out of the ring and delivering the jumping tombstone on the floor. Edited March 23, 2021 by Hamhock 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Cincinnati Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Dave Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 (edited) Man, I'm not sure why it matters that Andrade was in WWE. If you're AEW, you don't sign Andrade because he was in WWE. You sign Andrade because he's really really fucking good. There's a list of about 5 WWE names I'd be watching if I were TK, and he's on it. Also, treating one member of a wrestling couple with the respect they weren't getting in WWE is good business for multiple reasons, not the least of which is building goodwill for future negotiations. I.E., if you have to overpay Thea Trinidad a bit to be at the top of Tommy End's list when he inevitably becomes available, you do that shit tomorrow. Also, I hate the idea that AEW shouldn't sign someone because they were in WWE. You never see this mentality in sports. "Hey, let's not sign that free agent from the Patriots. We don't need so much of that talent and winning culture around here." Makes zero sense to me. Edited March 23, 2021 by just drew 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmUgly Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 Worked sports are different, as much as I'd love to sign on to that analogy. Putting a guy who spent a year or two or whatever trading wins in the midcard to little fanfare into your company and having that dude be highly competitive for major titles just makes your company's competition look wack. On the other hand, signing Ryan Fitzpatrick might get you to 9-7 and a playoff spot, damn the fact that he's a multi-team castoff. No one cares if you build through the draft or FA, just win. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheVileOne Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 19 minutes ago, just drew said: Man, I'm not sure why it matters that Andrade was in WWE. If you're AEW, you don't sign Andrade because he was in WWE. You sign Andrade because he's really really fucking good. There's a list of about 5 WWE names I'd be watching if I were TK, and he's on it. Also, treating one member of a wrestling couple with the respect they weren't getting in WWE is good business for multiple reasons, not the least of which is building goodwill for future negotiations. I.E., if you have to overpay Thea Trinidad a bit to be at the top of Tommy End's list when he inevitably becomes available, you do that shit tomorrow. Also, I hate the idea that AEW shouldn't sign someone because they were in WWE. You never see this mentality in sports. "Hey, let's not sign that free agent from the Patriots. We don't need so much of that talent and winning culture around here." Makes zero sense to me. My mindset of why they shouldn't sign him has nothing to do with WWE. It has more to do with that they have a roster that's gotten too big and is becoming hard to manage. Their roster is too big, and they don't have enough TV time to showcase everyone. You already have daily criticisms about the women's division not getting enough time and focus. Tony Khan keeps promising this second Warner Media show. It got announced over a year ago, but it's nowhere to be found. It seems suspicious to me they are dragging their feet on that. I'm simply thinking pragmatically from a standpoint of Andrade quit WWE because they weren't using him. He wasn't on TV at all. He wasn't wrestling. He was being mistreated. He wants more than to just sit at catering and collecting a nice paycheck. He wants to be a huge star. Look at this video he put on his YouTube channel in December. He was clearly sending a message to WWE even back then. Being a wrestler means a lot to him. He didn't get in the business to be a good hand or an enhancement guy. He wants to be viewed as one of the best in the world. So I'm not saying AEW should never sign him, but they shouldn't sign him right now because they have a bloated, over-crowded roster they don't know what to do with and not enough legit TV time to showcase them. And it just seems like places like NJPW and ROH could make good use of someone like him right now, plus give him an interesting set of new opponents and guys to face off with. In AEW, he could just as quickly get lost in the shuffle and be back to square one. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheVileOne Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 2 hours ago, Dolfan in NYC said: Let's everyone take a fucking step back. Charlotte doesn't really owe anyone any explanation, but at least this nips a lot of false rumors in the bud...one would hope at least. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVA Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 What rumors? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Dave Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 5 minutes ago, TheVileOne said: My mindset of why they shouldn't sign him has nothing to do with WWE. It has more to do with that they have a roster that's gotten too big and is becoming hard to manage. Their roster is too big, and they don't have enough TV time to showcase everyone. You already have daily criticisms about the women's division not getting enough time and focus. Tony Khan keeps promising this second Warner Media show. It got announced over a year ago, but it's nowhere to be found. It seems suspicious to me they are dragging their feet on that. I'm simply thinking pragmatically from a standpoint of Andrade quit WWE because they weren't using him. He wasn't on TV at all. He wasn't wrestling. He was being mistreated. He wants more than to just sit at catering and collecting a nice paycheck. He wants to be a huge star. Look at this video he put on his YouTube channel in December. He was clearly sending a message to WWE even back then. Being a wrestler means a lot to him. He didn't get in the business to be a good hand or an enhancement guy. He wants to be viewed as one of the best in the world. So I'm not saying AEW should never sign him, but they shouldn't sign him right now because they have a bloated, over-crowded roster they don't know what to do with and not enough legit TV time to showcase them. And it just seems like places like NJPW and ROH could make good use of someone like him right now, plus give him an interesting set of new opponents and guys to face off with. In AEW, he could just as quickly get lost in the shuffle and be back to square one. I agree that AEW's roster could use some trimming. But I think you sign a guy as gifted as Andrade regardless of circumstance. You get him because he makes your team better. You cut what you need to to get under the salary cap so you can sign him. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niners Fan in CT Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 i wouldn't sign Zelina in hopes of signing Black. i would sign her because she's awesome. Couples can split overnight. Both are talented individuals. i wouldn't bother factoring in the couples side of it. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheVileOne Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 2 minutes ago, Niners Fan in CT said: i wouldn't sign Zelina in hopes of signing Black. i would sign her because she's awesome. Couples can split overnight. Both are talented individuals. i wouldn't bother factoring in the couples side of it. IMHO she also really excelled in a primarily non-wrestling role which itself, the manager/valet role has become a dying art these days. But she can clearly go in the ring as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Fowler Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 I would rather have Thea Trinidad than Andrade, Black, or about 100 or so other people under WWE contract. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eoae Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 3 minutes ago, Brian Fowler said: I would rather have Thea Trinidad than Andrade, Black, or about 100 or so other people under WWE contract. Different strokes for different strokes. She's be one of the last five or ten people I signed from the current-ish roster. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheVileOne Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 (edited) 12 minutes ago, EVA said: What rumors? Well Dave Meltzer did report that WWE was being "secretive" about her status for WrestleMania after it looked like they were setting up a matchup with Asuka. Then she got taken off the advertisements and graphics. Fightful then reported her recent absence had nothing to do with Andrade wanting his release or trying to play hardball with WWE. Edited March 23, 2021 by TheVileOne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubbymark Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 The other demerit to Andrade signing with AEW is the way they have handled their top Mexican talent in Penta and Fenix. Someone in the Dynamite threads mentioned how Penta and Fenix were being treated like secondary spot guys. [quote]Penta's problem in AEW is that he and Fenix got the gimmick of "residentMexican wrestlers" and the role of "second-tier spotfest filler."[/quote] I feel like Andrade would be pushed no better in AEW. He’s better off conquering the world with Rush and Dragon Lee for now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Fowler Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 13 minutes ago, Eoae said: Different strokes for different strokes. She's be one of the last five or ten people I signed from the current-ish roster. I mean, Andrade was absolutely dead in the water before she saved his career in NXT. She was the only interesting thing about him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmUgly Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 28 minutes ago, just drew said: I agree that AEW's roster could use some trimming. But I think you sign a guy as gifted as Andrade regardless of circumstance. You get him because he makes your team better. You cut what you need to to get under the salary cap so you can sign him. Now THAT'S a sports analogy I can get behind! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheVileOne Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 2 minutes ago, Brian Fowler said: I mean, Andrade was absolutely dead in the water before she saved his career in NXT. She was the only interesting thing about him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 Ha ha ha. Salary Cap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 Man, I don't know. Fenix has main evented against both Archer and Omega. Even grumpy ol' JR thinks he's great. I don't see anyone in AEW thinking he's "filler." 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Fowler Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 5 minutes ago, TheVileOne said: FWIW, what I wrote about that match at the time: Quote Johnny Gargano and Zelina Vega are perfect at their roles. This was way better than what these two did in Brooklyn. But then they do stuff like that spinning transition into the submission and I remember how much I can't stand Almas's offense. Vega gets my favorite moment in an Almas match for the second straight TakeOver (the Rana into the steps, which looked fantastic and brutal.) There were two perfect endings for this match: Ciampa costs Johnny the match after Candace ran Vega off, or Johnny wins the belt and then Ciampa sets up the next program. Instead... Anyway, credit to Almas. He bumped his ass off, he ate all of the turnbuckle on the missed drive by knees, this was easily the best match of his I've ever seen. The knees against the post was a legit holy shit spot. The finish... I don't like the decision but the execution was and layout was spot on. It's definitely not the best NXT match I've seen (I'd take Drew/Roode, DIY/Revival 2 out of 3, Roode/Strong I, and both featured Sasha/Bayley matches without question. Probably AOP/DIY/Revival, the Roode/Nak series, and Asuka/Moon II. Maybe Nak/Sami and the Sami/Cesaro matches. But I digress...) but it was damn good and way better than I expected. He never got remotely close to having another match that good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbarrie Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 41 minutes ago, Smelly McUgly said: Putting a guy who spent a year or two or whatever trading wins in the midcard to little fanfare into your company and having that dude be highly competitive for major titles just makes your company's competition look wack. That argument made sense in the old days, but it not sure it holds up nowadays when the entire audience knows it's fake. I mean, Theodore Logan was not exactly written as a badass, but that doesn't seemed to have stopped fans from accepting Keanu Reeves as an action star. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niners Fan in CT Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 6 minutes ago, Dog said: Man, I don't know. Fenix has main evented against both Archer and Omega. Even grumpy ol' JR thinks he's great. I don't see anyone in AEW thinking he's "filler." Now but he was off to a slow start for a while. They should have been pushing him as a top guy from the beginning. He's the most exciting wrestler maybe in the world. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happ Hazzard Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 Just because people know it's fake, doesn't mean it doesn't have to make sense. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmUgly Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 (edited) 8 minutes ago, tbarrie said: That argument made sense in the old days, but it not sure it holds up nowadays when the entire audience knows it's fake. I mean, Theodore Logan was not exactly written as a badass, but that doesn't seemed to have stopped fans from accepting Keanu Reeves as an action star. I also don't think that analogy works entirely either. Pro wrestling is its own bastard thing where a combination of casting choices and real athletic ability matter in a way that they don't for movies or competitive sports. That's why a 50+ Liam Neeson can be a legit action star who beats up men much younger than him in a film and get complete audience buy-in, but a near-50 Edge beating Roman Reigns would get shit on. Edited March 23, 2021 by Smelly McUgly 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Fowler Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 Fenix is the first guy since Rey first came to the U.S. that gives me that same feeling of "holy fuck this guy is like nobody I've ever seen" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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