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AEW Navel-Gazing Thread Number Two


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2 hours ago, zendragon said:

See I agree that you could run a main event program with him right now, its more expecting to build around him long term that I have questions about

You’re not wrong. I may have misinterpreted the question. Keith Lee should be your first black AEW world champ and I think he could have a really great, long reign. I don’t know that I’d build the next five years of AEW around him. Your options there, barring a Chris Bey release from Impact, are Swerve, Caster & Bowens, Starks, Hobbs, and possibly Moriarty. I think he’s really fucking great.

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  • 3 weeks later...

THE TRADITION OF FESTIVUS BEGINS WITH THE AIRING OF GRIEVANCES! I've got a lot of problems with you people and you're gonna hear about it!

You! Jarrett..

I have been trying to figure out why I have such a bug up my ass about Jarrett in particular, in AEW in particular. I am not faking or exaggerating the feeling. I have a sense of where it's coming from, but I was struggling to articulate it.

Then I gave John E. Dynamite a weird Osaka Pro match to review in Secret Santo,and that review gave me the key to understanding myself. 

This, in particular:

"The thing I truly despise the most about the WWE monopoly years was the continued shaming of “bingo hall” pro wrestling. The thing I truly despise about capitalist corporate homogenized big-money bullshit American entertainment is the idea that things aren’t valid unless they cost a lot of money to make. I don’t know what part of the typical mass-media consuming populace even bother to see little shows with sub-200 crowds and it hurts my brain and soul to think about. This match is people, being artistically creative and athletically capable on their own terms, trying (and succeeding) to entertain a crowd that they can immediately see and interact with. Cirque du Soliel people are, God bless em, always gonna understand the value of human expression for a human purpose. None of my best memories of watching live theater happened on Broadway. Most of my best wrestling memories are from venues no bigger than ECW arena, when I got to feel like I was connected to the performers and the other people around me. Matches like this just make me want to support community theater and indie wrestling and every weird 200 seat thing in the world. "

 

The best part of my 50+ years and counting of wrestling fandom was when I first moved to Japan and became part of the Osaka Pro Wrestling family. The second -best part was when I was on the roster of Vancouver All Star Wrestling in the mid-1980s. The community. The connection. Territories and local indies. Small halls.

 

Connection.

 

Massive corporate pro wrestling ain't really my bag. Same with music, same with beer...

 

But, people need to make a living. 

 

I dreamed for years about a promotion where great, entertaining, creative wrestlers could get international exposure while not being forced into narrow corporate roles,  while being granted freedom of expression and creativity. With more of a human dimension, with more real and honest connection and a greater sense of community. Something big, but with the soul of a good territory or indie.

 

TNA was such a huge disappointment. They could have done that but instead wanted to be a more watered-down corporate thing.

 

AEW started with a bet that non-corporate wrestling could never fill a 10,000-seat arena.

 

And at first, and for three years or so, it really came across as something very close to what I'd been dreaming of. A big, weird, joyous indie with a sense of community and connection that was big enough and good enough to get people international exposure and allow lots of people to make a comfortable living.

 

It sure was great while it lasted. And it's still pretty great and one of my favourite things even now that it's transitioning into more of a challenger brand.

 

But in my mind (and I know this is just my way of thinking, I am NOT trying to position this take as The Only Possible True Path for AEW to follow), I would prefer for them to remain as distinct as possible from corporate style professional wrestling. 

 

I didn't, initially, think they should have brought in Big Paul and Mark Henry. But, I now really enjoy both of them and I would definitely miss them if they left AEW. 

I don't have anywhere near the nostalgia for the Attitude Era that so many people seem to have. So, I wasn't stoked for Taz or Christian  (for example) but obviously both have been really entertaining in their roles.

 

Guys like Jericho and Danielson have ties to corporate wrestling, but they also both travelled the world perfecting their craft working in small halls etc etc...

 

Punk is similar. But he's enough of a mark-for-himself that the way things ended wasn't exactly a huge shock.

FTR and Ruby, for example, felt like they were happy to "escape" from the clutches of corporate America and go somewhere they could be more themselves.

MJF and Britt, for example, have worked their way up through the indies... but both sometimes come across as marks-for-themselves who dream of being massive superstars more than artists who love wrestling. I don't know either of  them and obviously could be completely wrong about this.

 

Jarrett had ties to the territories, obviously, but he's also a symbol of watered-down corporate challenger brand mentality and perhaps the biggest, most obvious,most embarrassing example of mark-for-himself of all time. 

 

So I kinda see a lot of it through "corporate vs indie" glasses.

 

What I'd personally prefer is for AEW to stay maximally indie and weird and steer hard away from corporate stylings and me-first personalities. I would so much rather have more Bear Boulder and JD Drake and Pretty Peter and Leva Bates and Willow and Yuka Sakazaki at the expense of people with big names who are not also weird and/or indie.

 

To me, signing Jeff Jarrett, putting him on TV, putting him in main evens, and pushing him into a title program (and immediately booking Saraya as more important than the wrestlers already on the roster) is a pretty clear symbol that AEW has changed.

 

Which is FINE. And probably inevitable. 

 

It's just that I personally would prefer more of what I love, and I don't think (or see any evidence that) the "bigger" names are drawing more eyeballs. I think a purely weird and indie and community -focussed AEW would be every bit as successful as a challenger brand AEW. So the shift is going to leave me frustrated and bummed out at times, even though AEW still (as the saying goes) rules the motherfucking world.

 

tl/dr: maybe what you wanna do is fill the roster up with people who LOVE wrestling rather than people who are marks for themselves?

 

Edited by Gordlow
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very well said overall. Hope you don't mind me moderating a bit, but these parts stuck out to me:

16 hours ago, Gordlow said:

 I dreamed for years about a promotion where great, entertaining, creative wrestlers could get international exposure while not being forced into narrow corporate roles,  while being granted freedom of expression and creativity. With more of a human dimension, with more real and honest connection and a greater sense of community. Something big, but with the soul of a good territory or indie...

AEW started with a bet that non-corporate wrestling could never fill a 10,000-seat arena...

[Jeff Jarrett, to use him as an example, being given a big debut and push over more 'homegrown' performers] is a pretty clear symbol that AEW has changed...

Which is FINE. And probably inevitable. 

and yes, it probably is inevitable. When you start a new endeavor, it makes sense to use open arms and try as many things as possible. You keep what works, you ditch what doesn't. That's a necessary step. I liked Joey Janela in early AEW, but it never really clicked to his or AEW's aspirations.

It only becomes a problem when you whittle everything down to such a narrow window that it leaves no room for creativity. But that's the rub. How much is too much? I like my wrestling to be more mainstream than indy (and man, that realization i'm having right now is a bitter pill to swallow!) but i want to see a wide variety of stuff. Give me more death matches. More long technical stretches. More high flying. More "Mimosa Mayhem Matches". More weird. But i just want it to look polished and good. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I've been behind on catching up on various board topics so apologies for not seeing this until now.  But going off threads on weekly shows it kind of bums me out seeing your enthusiasm drop quite a bit compared to when AEW first started.  But in an attempt to be positive I look at what AEW is doing and think back to what was initially presented to us.

The ratio of indy/relatively unknown wrestlers to "Superstars" was a bit different to say the least but the basic structure was still there.  You had Young Bucks and Kenny but there was also the likes of Cody and Jericho who while they were former WWE stars they were there for themselves as well as to help out those that were not as well-versed in TV wrestling.  One person that comes to mind is Sammy who when they were doing PPVs before Dynamite he didn't find the camera nearly as much as he does now.  But fast forward to not long after the start of Dynamite and he's gotten pretty good at getting his punchable-yet-handsome face on the screen when possible.  Same goes for Britt who never really found her groove that much as a face.  But once she turned heel it seemed to magically click.  And she credits the likes of Jericho who you would think is her Yoda with her how much she got from him.

So what changed?  Well, a lot did but at the same time not much.  Yeah, there's been a lot more former WWE stars who have made AEW their home and that changed the ratio quite a bit.  But the basic idea is still contributing to AEW as a whole, especially for the likes of Paul Wright and Henry who do a lot to help talent.  And goodness me Darby would have been mega popular anyway but having Sting with him has helped tremendously.  Looking at the champs they're all homegrown or indy talents that have also managed to make a helluva splash with hardcore and casual fans alike.  That's the combination of them being that damn good but also having the old heads backstage/on TV helping them out.  Until it changes to it being mostly former WWE stars with belts or featured I think there's little to worry about.

Now as for the types of matches and who is brought in that really hasn't changed at all.  AEW's never been afraid to have people like Aja Kong come in or any available talent from Japan and Mexico.  And the intent was always to have those partnerships to allow for cool-as-fuck matchups.  The pandemic definitely impacted that but even then there was an attempt with Impact that year.  Now that things have opened up you can have Minoru Suzuki one week and some time later Jun Akiyama helping Eddie live out his dream.  The match types have been a bit different from the start with things like the Casino Battle Royal.  But they're still doing wacky things like having a best-of-7 series go full NBA Finals or having a women's tag street fight that is bloody and violent.  Again if things like that stop and it goes strictly conventional wrestling then yeah that'd be cause for concern.

I tried to not make this a bunch of word salad and boy do I hope this makes sense considering I got three hours sleep and am running off caffeine that I hope doesn't kill me one day.  But the tl;dr on my end is this:  AEW's changed in many ways for better or worse.  But the main essence of what makes them special is still there.  It took a weird turn last year but they managed to right the ship.  And in the end it's still the AEW I know and love.  Do I wish the likes of Sonny Kiss were featured a lot more?  Of course.  But at the end of the day unless TK changes everything about his mindset the company will always have that something that appeals to us.   It might be more evident on Dynamite for some or you might have to stick with Rampage and/or Dark/Elevation.  But in some way it'll always be there.  As long as they don't lose that then I hope you keep finding those things in AEW that still appeal to you.

Edited by NikoBaltimore
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On 12/26/2022 at 8:50 PM, Gordlow said:

maybe what you wanna do is fill the roster up with people who LOVE wrestling rather than people who are marks for themselves?

I know this tl;dr doesn't capture the totality of your post, but I find it such a strange distinction to make. I'm assuming you don't mean it this way, but we should be careful when maligning people whose sensibilities we don't enjoy or who are clearly marks for themselves as NOT loving wrestling. Maybe some of them don't. But both of those things (love of wrestling and presenting as "being a mark" for yourself) can and do exist in a lot of people. Sometimes people who succeed at wrestling might not love it, but my sense is in 2023 we're batting for a higher average than ever in terms of people being in the wrestling business because they love or have loved wrestling. 

As an example, I personally bristle against Chris Jericho's seeming self-importance in the way you do Jarrett's. I wouldn't think "being a mark for himself" disqualifies him as someone who loves wrestling. Everything I've heard him say on the subject and everything I've seen him write on the subject speaks to a love of this creative outlet. 

I also have a question about who's in the In bucket and the Out bucket as far as who's being named and labeled and who would or wouldn't be in your ideal AEW and where the line is. Is it possible Chris Jericho and the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega are excepted from being specifically painted with the "being marks for themselves" brush (when all have conducted themselves many times over the years in ways that would meet many people's definitions of that phrase) because you prefer their work and perceive their sensibilities as aligning more closely with your own? When do or don't people who are "marks for themselves" belong on the roster? At what point does markishness cancel out their love of wrestling in your judgement?

Perhaps controversially, I'll also stick up for a certain amount of self-importance and even arrogance presenting as compelling in some showbiz performers. To eschew such types outright would deprive a showbiz presentation of the types of performers many people find appealing. And that's been baked into things that have been presented successfully in AEW since day one. 

Regarding Tony's use of the phrase "challenger brand," I have to insist that I'm not sure the mission has changed. To my mind, its the same messy, largely-disjointed, often-fun, sometimes-not smorgasbord its been since day one. People come and go, fortunes rise and fall, different talent become available, but spiritually I'm not sure it's all that different. OC and the Best Friends are still hanging around, they brought in Danhausen, Darby remains prominent, the Bucks and Kenny and Adam Page continue to put their stamp on things, Moxley's out here bleeding everywhere and cussing like a maniac, tacks and barbed wire show up now and again, etc. Plenty of what people characterize as that "original recipe" "non-coporate" AEW abounds. Wednesday's show featured Bryan Danielson vs Bandido and was headlined by Kushida. I don't think the quality of the smorgasbord has been altered to any serious degree just because Jeff Jarrett managed to get a job or MJF got a push.

Though I do see a lot of people, here and elsewhere, trying to wrestle with some of the ideas you're working through. There is certainly a perception that there has been some huge change over the short life of this company. And a lot of people are trying to put their finger on just what that is. My theory has long been it's the honeymoon period coming to an end. People wanted to be as in as possible because they wanted a challenger brand, they were personally invested in its success, it was new and exciting, people felt a certain way. That always stood to cool over time, especially as AEW's footing within the industry came to be seen as firm. And I believe I'm not perceiving the same grand philosophical changes because I wasn't bought in as hard as AEW's most enthusiastic fans did from day one. Less of a fall for my excitement level to take if I never got as high as some other people did in the first place. 

To try to make myself clear, I want to look at your own admitted dream for a promotion. 

Quote

I dreamed for years about a promotion where great, entertaining, creative wrestlers could get international exposure while not being forced into narrow corporate roles,  while being granted freedom of expression and creativity. With more of a human dimension, with more real and honest connection and a greater sense of community. Something big, but with the soul of a good territory or indie.

I can't speak to your sense of community, but I see AEW regularly, and maximally, doing a great deal to fulfil many of these desires. 

Is someone being forced into a narrow, corporate role? Denied freedom of expression or creativity? Perhaps, but I have to imagine they're minority in this bunch. We've got all manner of styles of wrestling represented, all manner of styles of storytelling, promos aren't scripted, etc. The Luchas Bros are still maximally Lucha Bro-ie. Hangman Page is still being awkward about his feelings. Darby still does his weird pre-match videos he likes to make sometimes. FTR are allowed to emphasize their own preferred style of wrestling at the expense of nobody else. Luther and Serpentico and Emi and Cutler and other Youtube darlings seem to be hanging around and doing their thing. Tay and Anna Jay are seemingly trying to style themselves as occasional bloody plunder match people. Looks like a lot of what you say you want, a lot of expression and creativity, not a lot of narrow. 

And anyone can come in and get that exposure at any time. Dragon Lee and Kushida and United Empire and Jay White can literally come in and headline any random episode at the drop of a dime. Dalton Castle can come out of nowhere to be a battle royal highlight and get a grand entrance in a career match against a decades-long WWE main eventer. Konosuke Takeshita has developed a natural connection to AEW fans to the point where he's seemingly earned a sustained push in the future. Definitionally this seems like what you say you want. 

I'm just trying to wrap my head around it, same as you're trying to work through what feels different or less fulfilling. Maybe you want JD Drake on Dynamite. Maybe you'd like to curtail the freedom or creativity of people who rub you wrong expressing themselves as big stars like MJF and Britt. Probably not that part, but maybe. Is Saraya's existence that egregious? I don't know. They're already turning her heel, so it's not like Tony's letting himself get too out of step with his audience on this business. 

Maybe I'll finally see it down the road when the top babyface is a flag-humping, America-loving muscleman who needs to defend his title and his country's honor against Satnam Singh, who seems to be getting a sudden main event push because of his height. But for now, things strike me as... mostly fine, just AEW being AEW. 

That was a lot of words of me sniffing my farts. Sorry.

Edited by John from Cincinnati
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12 minutes ago, elizium said:

All I got out of that was Satnam Singh main event push. Do it, Tony, you coward

Hey, they're not keeping him out of the ring (and not losing) for nothing. I'm sure they have plans for him, once they feel he's had enough training. Not really sure who is training with him right now, unless it's the guys he hangs around with on TV? Matt Jackson and Jamie Hayter should be teaching him about suplexing multiple people at once, though!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Thinking about MJF's recent promo's in relation to other forms of entertainment, If you saw Black Panther Killmonger character was a villain who people could empathize with, to understand his motivation. this seems be the trend lately to make villain's relatable. However ever in prior times Villains where presented as "Bad Seeds" to redeemable qualities just evil. MJF seems to be going for the latter.

Now does he go to far? well a villain is only a villain if he does bad things. MJF lowkey bragging about drinking and driving and saying semi racist stuff to KT (which reminds me kids pulling on their eyes and saying 'ching-chon, ding-don") is a lot different than what other heels do where it can all feel like its being done with a wink and a nod and we all says what a great performance. 

I guess my food for thought is what does heat look like in an era where we all know its a work?

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  • 4 weeks later...

So, I'm over here completely BAFFLED by the near-universal love that Orange vs Jarrett is receiving on these boards.

Possibly, my dislike of all things Jarrett is just irrational. If so - even if not - it's probably useful in the sense that it gives me greater empathy for people who have seemingly-irrational hatred for (lets say) The Bucks, Kenny, and/or Adam Cole, regardless of what those wrestlers actually do or say in a given week.

Jarrett taking the fewest possible bumps, doing his little strut, having a half-dozen run-ins every match, saying "Slap nuts" like it's a clever insult... None of that appeals to me. quite the opposite. I have zero nostalgia for that shit.

But I don't think that's my issue.

What brought it into focus for me was Nicole Matthews being used to troll the crowd before Taya showed up. 

I, personally, would prefer the version of AEW that doesn't treat a very good but relatively unknown pro wrestler like Nicole Matthews as a joke. I think a huge part of the reason that I loved AEW deeply, madly, unconditionally for the first three years or so was that they were constantly bringing in so many really good but relatively unknown professional wrestlers and allowing them the space to get over (or to fall flat) on their own merits on (inter)national TV. Exposing new talent to a wide audience and largely letting the crowd decide who would get a rocket strapped to them.

Occasionally bringing in someone like Miro or FTR or Ruby who maybe wasn't booked to their best advantage elsewhere and giving them a chance to shine (or not) in a new environment was also fun and interesting, and having wrestlers like Arn in a mentor role seemed a good way to scratch people's nostalgia itch without overshadowing the young wrestlers on the rise, but to me it was watching new-to-me wrestlers being given the chance to get themselves over that was the real magic.

So I think what I resent about Jarrett and Saraya in particular is that they are wrestlers who had their run at the top being brought in not as mentors, not to get a fair chance to shine that they hadn't received elsewhere... But to be treated as bigger stars than the wrestlers I had grown to love, to take up loads of TV time that I personally would prefer be given to, say, Abadon or Sonny Kiss, or Angelico, or Yuka Sakazaki... And to give a polished, professional vibe to a show that I would vastly prefer remain weirdand rough around the edges.

I am not necessarily saying that actually bringing in and pushing Nicole would be better than bringing in and pushing Taya... I am saying that, for me personally, it would be a LOT more interesting.

(Nothing against Taya. She surely belongs in the "deserves a chance to shine" group).

I am also, please note, not DEMANDING change or forecasting doom for AEW because they are no longer pandering directly to my specific tastes. Even though this week's Dynamite devoted plenty of time to Jarrett and Saraya, I still watched and enjoyed it.

On one hand, I see zero evidence that the new reliance on "established stars" is cranking up ratings or selling more tickets than the previous model of building around unique indie wrestlers and random Japanese guests...

On the other hand, obviously lots of people here are pretty happy with the current direction.

So I guess I'm just sorting out my own current dissatisfaction in my head by musing about it online. Navel gazing, as it were.

Edited by Gordlow
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My only response there is that it’s likely best to decompartmentalize. 

I want Jarrett because of certain skills he brings to the table that no one else is doing in 2022 and love he can accomplish so much with so little. That, to me, is so much more enjoyable than watching wrestlers do so little with so much, which is kind of what I feel about the trios division.

I don’t want Saraya and think her influence has set the women’s division back.

It would have been good for Jade, Mathews (Nicole), Matthew (me), and Gordi (you) for Matthews to get ten minutes against Jade before bringing out Taya. 

I want BCC as Tsuruta-gun vs the guys under 30, not feuding with the Elite (I want them to go to WWE so there can be more time for Comoroto, Drake, and Bear Country).

We all want different things. And no two of us want the same things. It’s a zero-sum game with X amount of TV time. 

My hope is that by coming in and playing ball there might be something for Matthews in the future. Like a program with Athena maybe? 

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41 minutes ago, Gordlow said:

So, I'm over here completely BAFFLED by the near-universal love that Orange vs Jarrett is receiving on these boards.

Possibly, my dislike of all things Jarrett is just irrational. If so - even if not - it's probably useful in the sense that it gives me greater empathy for people who have seemingly-irrational hatred for (lets say) The Bucks, Kenny, and/or Adam Cole, regardless of what those wrestlers actually do or say in a given week.

Jarrett taking the fewest possible bumps, doing his little strut, having a half-dozen run-ins every match, saying "Slap nuts" like it's a clever insult... None of that appeals to me. quite the opposite. I have zero nostalgia for that shit.

But I don't think that's my issue.

What brought it into focus for me was Nicole Matthews being used to troll the crowd before Taya showed up. 

I, personally, would prefer the version of AEW that doesn't treat a very good but relatively unknown pro wrestler like Nicole Matthews as a joke. I think a huge part of the reason that I loved AEW deeply, madly, unconditionally for the first three years or so was that they were constantly bringing in so many really good but relatively unknown professional wrestlers and allowing them the space to get over (or to fall flat) on their own merits on (inter)national TV. Exposing new talent to a wide audience and largely letting the crowd decide who would get a rocket strapped to them.

Occasionally bringing in someone like Miro or FTR or Ruby who maybe wasn't booked to their best advantage elsewhere and giving them a chance to shine (or not) in a new environment was also fun and interesting, and having wrestlers like Arn in a mentor role seemed a good way to scratch people's nostalgia itch without overshadowing the young wrestlers on the rise, but to me it was watching new-to-me wrestlers being given the chance to get themselves over that was the real magic.

So I think what I resent about Jarrett and Saraya in particular is that they are wrestlers who had their run at the top being brought in not as mentors, not to get a fair chance to shine that they hadn't received elsewhere... But to be treated as bigger stars than the wrestlers I had grown to love, to take up loads of TV time that I personally would prefer be given to, say, Abadon or Sonny Kiss, or Angelico, or Yuka Sakazaki... And to give a polished, professional vibe to a show that I would vastly prefer remain weirdand rough around the edges.

I am not necessarily saying that actually bringing in and pushing Nicole would be better than bringing in and pushing Taya... I am saying that, for me personally, it would be a LOT more interesting.

(Nothing against Taya. She surely belongs in the "deserves a chance to shine" group).

I am also, please note, not DEMANDING change or forecasting doom for AEW because they are no longer pandering directly to my specific tastes. Even though this week's Dynamite devoted plenty of time to Jarrett and Saraya, I still watched and enjoyed it.

On one hand, I see zero evidence that the new reliance on "established stars" is cranking up ratings or selling more tickets than the previous model of building around unique indie wrestlers and random Japanese guests...

On the other hand, obviously lots of people here are pretty happy with the current direction.

So I guess I'm just sorting out my own current dissatisfaction in my head by musing about it online. Navel gazing, as it were.

Gordlow, well said but to keep it brief and see if it's why it feeds into your Jarrett dislike

 

Are you a fan of Memphis at all?

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1 minute ago, porksweats said:

Gordlow, well said but to keep it brief and see if it's why it feeds into your Jarrett dislike

 

Are you a fan of Memphis at all?

Great question. 

And: No. Not really.

 

I like to navel-gaze about Lawler because to me he's like Springsteen or Dylan in that the talent is OBVIOUS, I get why people really dig them (both fans and critics) I know people who are wildly passionate about them, count then among their absolute favourites, but I personally have never been able to get into Jerry Lawler, Bruce Springsteen, or Bob Dylan at all. Just not to my personal taste.

 

I like to navel-gaze about the matter of personal taste. It's mostly inexplicable. The best explanation I ever heard, and one which I paraphrase often: maybe when you were a little little kid you were running to get a hotdog and you fell and skinned your knee (which, because you were really little, was kind of traumatic). Now, as an adult, you cannot understand why anyone would want a hotdog. They are greasy! And loaded with nitrates! But really the reason you hate them is subconscious association with a childhood trauma. 

So I enjoy engaging in arguments about personal taste, and feel there is real value in such discussion as long as we steer clear of tribalism (e.g. as brain exercise, as a way of expanding and refining our opinions...) 

 

But it's mostly bullshit. Particularly so when people treat matters of personal taste as unassailable fact.

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Maybe I'm looking at it with rose coloured glasses, and you can think whatever you want about how much he's being used on TV, but I can't imagine that Jeff's not doing some measure of mentoring. He's worked a decent amount with Caster and Bowens in multiple styles of matches. He's semi-regularly gassing up Satnam on his podcast and seems to have a genuinely high view of his potential. Tony, if he's open to it, might even benefit from some of Jeff's own experiences as an owner, a manager, a creative, someone who's had to cultivate relationships with TV partners and buildings, etc. While they may be trying to get more mileage out of him on TV than you'd prefer (and even he seems somewhat surprised by how often he's donning the boots and tights), it's not his lone role and my belief is his knowledge and experience is providing mentorship value for some people. As to him being a presented as a bigger star, well... he sure does lose a lot and make AEW crowd favourites look great in the process. 

Regarding the time Saraya's getting, I expect that's an attempt to justify whatever her contract is. I can't explain it.

Hot dogs are great. I'm sorry about your knee and the lifelong trauma you're burdened with. 

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  • 1 month later...

It’s the  New World Gorder.

Sadly I’m joining. Maybe I’m experiencing wrestling apathy but I haven’t been feeling the last few AEW shows. Last time I declared this they won me back with a bunch of bangers so hopefully I can turn face again soon. 

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On 4/29/2023 at 5:09 PM, tbarrie said:

Gordlow has completed his heel turn, guys. A sad day.

Yet again, Americans treat a Canadian badly, and then call him standing up for what he believes in a heel turn. 

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Folks here are summing up my current grievances with AEW pretty hard.

 

2019 up until Punk, it felt like AEW was a promotion mostly giving me what I wanted, and now it feels a bit too stale/safe.

 

I guess this puts me on team Canada, hand me my tracksuit.

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