TheVileOne Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 I guess I'm wondering where they are going with this MJF/Tony Khan thing. It's not like MJF and Khan are going to wrestle. Even the idea of him being the babyface here is kind of absurd because he's basically coming off like a spoiled, greedy brat on TV. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eikerir Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 Anyone knows what kinda shape God is in? Not seen a match of his since around 2006. Nice little touch about the MJF thing, the announcers acted like it never happened when they came back from the break and as if the last segment had been the opening match. It was also never referenced again for the rest of the night. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 10 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A_K Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 (edited) The contract stuff. The WWE flirtation. The fan fest. The sign-mom. 2024. The plane ticket. The friction with Khan. It’s all a work. It always was a work. Now that’s established - MJF absolutely has no equal in this business of performance art. He had absolutely everyone eating out of the palm of his hand - not last night, since this all began. AEW originals going over the “ex WWE guys” is the ‘big arc’ they need. P.s. — Punk is botching deliberately. Just so you guys know, you know? Edited June 2, 2022 by A_K 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEAN Posted June 2, 2022 Author Share Posted June 2, 2022 The addiction SPREADS! 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 18 minutes ago, DEAN said: The addiction SPREADS! Hiroshi Tanahashi better watch out! Speaking of: Go Ace! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coletti Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 (edited) Somebody plz edit the Miro promo ending with the theme from the "Preacher" TV show. Dude probably wouldn't even need Genesis to fuck up The Lord. Hayter is simultaneously a wrestling machine and -netico factory. One big miss is nobody at the booth calling Garcia using the Regal Stretch. Great night of wrestling! Edited June 2, 2022 by christopher.annino 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custos Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 7 hours ago, John from Cincinnati said: If I recall correctly, he flubbed the spring from the apron in a previous tag match too. Love the guy, but it might be time to retire that one. Rey was about Punk’s age when he had that seemingly miraculous fountain-of-youth resurgence in the Royal Rumble, right? I guess stem cells only do the job when you were born with preternatural hops (coincidentally the name of my hipster IPA). I love the guy, he’s nearly all there physically (relative to peak) but the main thing I notice nowadays is by the end of a match he has that half-dead look like he’s just finished back-to-back triathlons. Happy to have him around and as champ though. Can’t deny the passion of the MJF promo and it was hard not to get swept up in the emotion, felt far more Flair than Punk in the cadence and the body language though fewer elbow drops onto inanimate objects. The only jarring shoot comments were the ‘reckless head-drop’ insults, for which you could reach a convoluted kayfabe explanation but felt like a strain. The implications of the face reaction may be a bit overblown - to me there was plenty of antipathy for a lot of it, and the loudest positive pops were around anti-WWE sentiments, and no doubt the West Coast homers, popping their AEW Live Event cherry so to speak, were keen to show their love. As for the wrestling, great tight follow-up to that huge beast of a show at the weekend, with the back-and-forth beating in the women’s tag match being my favourite. And for the non-MJF promos, I will gladly take whatever Miro and Daddy Magic are giving me. Amazing to have God’s once-favourite champ back on the show. Guest commentary for the main was good fun and Regals use of Cockney rhyming slang always gets a pop from me (‘syrup’=‘syrup of figs’=‘wig’ for the uninitiated) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew POE! Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 I watched the MJF promo on YouTube videos that other people uploaded and I'm not exactly sure it's a 'worked shoot' promo at this point. As someone mentioned earlier, it made MJF come across as a spoiled, entitled brat and not the 'pipebomb' everyone thinks it is. AEW completely scrubbed it off their YouTube page and it's not even mentioned on their results page. That tells me that MJF said he would speak about what happened over the weekend and probably lied to them about doing an apology to the people who had to get refunded at Fan Fest (sorry dude but people paid $100s to see/meet you at least say something to apologize to them instead of attacking them too). Instead, MJF turns on the fans, the other AEW wrestlers and Tony Khan. The delivery of the whole promo felt like a public meltdown and I really wouldn't be surprised if we don't see MJF on TV anymore (unless he just shows up next week and tries to grab a mic for security to escort him out or it gets cut off again). At some point, it becomes a question of how much is it worth the headache/hassle to deal with him. If he thinks he should be in the WWE and can make it there, the WWE will look at something like this promo and missing the fan fest as being 'nos' for them. Also, I know MJF doesn't realize it but....he just trashed his own supposed stable members FTR and Shawn Spears (what, they can't tie his boots either?) too. I'm not sure I'm looking forward to more worked shoot comments from MJF when I'm not even seeing a payoff for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
For Great Justice Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 I know Roman is often talked about as the next to move on to Hollywood, but I’m not sure it won’t be Miro. He’s gotten REALLY GOOD at this acting thing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 (edited) We got Warner execs in the house! Let's lean hard as fuck into sports entertainment! Man, I don't know about this one. MJF promo was some prime, Grade A Russo-ass shit. Bury the company. Bury other wrestlers' and their "style" and ability to draw money. Cut a promo on the promoter. Fuck me this was terrible and I really don't want this shit in my wrestling in 2022. For all this talk about drawing and whatnot, maybe these dudes need to remember that the Pillman shit was only hot to the smart marks reading the sheets and didn't draw a dime, as the old heads like to say. All that being said, if the gimmick is "this is a shoot," then having the announcers ignore it after the break was smart. I feel so bad for Wardlow. Last week we were clamoring for him to get a title. He was so hot, I even said they should put the main belt on him. Then Max throws a temper tantrum and now he's an afterthought in a water treading sports entertainment angle feuding with The Wrestling Lawyer. Nobody in this thread is talking about Wardlow now and that's a fucking bummer. Amazing women's tag but parts had me worried for Hayter. She took like 4 bad-looking moves that impacted her head in a row. But she seemed fine so maybe it was just really good work/selling? But then Ruby gets her 50/50 booking win back and then we get a post-match heel beatdown and I'm worried Tony may have secretly sold the company to Vince because holy shit. Punk is old, that's a long way to dive from the ramp to the guardrail, and he mashed his shin. Did that cause all those blown spots? The Assclaimed is an awesome act. More of that, please. Mox/Garcia was phenominal. I was half expecting a promo by Mox imploring Garcia to join them. The new stage setup looked GREAT. MIRO!!!! Fuck yes. He's going to redeem the Punks, the Cowboys, the Pagans... Athena vs Kiera Hogan on Rampage. Nice. It did my longtime PWG fan heart good to see the Bucks working in LA in front of 15,000. OH FUCK Eddie Kingston almost Titus'd himself running in on the main. Johnny On The Spot work by the production team cutting away and then cutting back. Stay in your wheelhouse, AEW. More Mox/Garcia, less MJF. I can watch outdated by 20+ years work shoot bullshit on Peacock. Edited June 2, 2022 by Technico Support 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(BP) Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 I’m not going to break Punk’s balls because I’m ten years younger than him and I have never and will never be able to do a springboard. I thought him almost dropping one of the Assboys on his head during the final sequence was more concerning. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakk_Sabbath Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 This is only tangentially related, but does anyone remember which writer was trying to push the word "shork" instead of "worked shoot" like 20-25 years ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krone Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 I'm gonna be honest, I'm surprised a few of you disliked the MJF stuff. I thought it was absolutely fantastic TV and had about 4 people in the discord watching who couldn't give two shits about wrestling. That's crossover appeal right there, that's talking chops. MJF just cut one of the best promos I've ever seen and in the words of Forrest Gump "that's all I got to say 'bout that". 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Wilson Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 8 hours ago, Dog said: He said he had something to say as Max, implying MJF is a character he plays. He talked about star ratings and said no one likes him because he doesn't do headdrops. Even using the term "mark" is telling people it's all fake. "We're basically stealing from you because we made you think this is legit." Meanwhile, some people work themselves into a shoot. Well the "M" in "MJF" stands for Max so its not like Sting doing a promo as "Steve" in the TNA days, its his name. One of the biggest wrestlers of AEW talks about his star ratings so talking about star ratings is still within the AEW realm, it would be more weird if say Undertaker talked about star ratings. The promotion was founded partially by wrestlers that are known for flips and star ratings and talk about it on social media on a regular basis, so MJF saying "I don't get paid as much as I don't get star ratings and do flips" is a not way out of left field. Wrestlers have been calling super fans "marks" for decades. Look I can get if someone doesn't like worked shoot promos that they may not like MJF's promo, no argument there. Its not everyone's tastes and I'd never try to convince anyone otherwise. It was definitely that style of promo and I know that rubs people the wrong way. My point was that it wasn't a Russo-style shoot promo, or even Pillman, it was much closer to Punk or Shane Douglas (which of course was partially a shoot but I am sure MJF/Tony styled it off of Punk/Shane and not Russo). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A_K Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 14 minutes ago, Krone Meltzer said: I'm gonna be honest, I'm surprised a few of you disliked the MJF stuff. I thought it was absolutely fantastic TV and had about 4 people in the discord watching who couldn't give two shits about wrestling. That's crossover appeal right there, that's talking chops. MJF just cut one of the best promos I've ever seen and in the words of Forrest Gump "that's all I got to say 'bout that". Everyone got worked by this stuff for the longest time, they're hardly going to about-turn now, are they? The bolded part is key - and this is what they will need to break up out of the current ratings/popularity-channel they are in. They know this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerva Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 The beginning of Blood and Guts should be Eddie Kingston inspecting the outside of the ring and destroying all crash pads and foam linings 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Bones Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 Here comes Mr. Positive! The Ruby/Storm vs. Hayter/Baker was MOTN for me. Christ! Does Hayter just attack the mat/floor with every bump she takes. She is indeed in my top 5 every week she is in the ring. Rubys bump off the apron to the floor was vicious. The 10 man was pretty great too. Even if I’ve seen a parade of that style of match for awhile now. When Punk came back after 7 years. My advice would have been: “Keep everything the same. Just ditch the springboard clothesline.” That move has the highest probability of failure. He got away with it for awhile. But yeah, maybe drop that one or start doing some extra stretching and practice it until it comes back to muscle memory. Good match. Tanahashi on American TV. Fuuuuck yes! That match with Punk is going to fucking rule. Wardlow is heading into Hangman territory now. Where he had the hit song go to number 1. Now he needs a follow up. Sterling isn’t a bad choice to get him some heat. Plus is WAS a nice smooth little dance move exchanging roles with Smart Mark and Stokley. This was a first chapter. Wardlow next appearance will be very telling. I’m somewhat baffled by some of the negative reactions to MJFs promo. Not because I’m ignorant to some fans having issues with shooty promos. I’ve heard all about it for 25 years. But with all that material out in the world from over the weekend. What are you going to do? Not weave it in and have the other side of the argument say: “What? Are we just ignoring this shit now?” Because on its own. The promo was a high tension, quality piece of television. Delivered by a compelling competent performer who backed up and believed every word he spoke. I did indeed “feel something. Even a buddy of mine, who hasn’t exactly migrated over to AEW (yet) had to text me about the promo this morning singing MJFs praises. I love you AEW. You’re my only hope. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 8 hours ago, southofheavy said: I think Eddie's gonna pick up the gas can again. Can someone please dub MJF's promo over Eddie staggering out with the gasoline? I think that needs to happen now. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyJ Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 MJF was squashed and stretchered out of the arena on Sunday night. Three days later he cuts a promo and he's a big a deal as anyone in the company. Regardless of where this goes, that is how it's done. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belgian_Waffle Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 Not to be the resident Woke Joke around these parts but it feels insensitive to Ibushi to be doing a crass worked-shoot storyline where a top guy is unhappy with the company--that is, it risks de-legitimizing by way of carny-fying actual abusive workplaces in wrestling (i.e., New Japan according to Ibushi, which as a partner company to AEW makes the whole thing extra icky). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 49 minutes ago, Zakk_Sabbath said: This is only tangentially related, but does anyone remember which writer was trying to push the word "shork" instead of "worked shoot" like 20-25 years ago? Why, so we can jump the shork? 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krone Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 2 minutes ago, Belgian_Waffle said: Not to be the resident Woke Joke around these parts but it feels insensitive to Ibushi to be doing a crass worked-shoot storyline where a top guy is unhappy with the company--that is, it risks de-legitimizing by way of carny-fying actual abusive workplaces in wrestling (i.e., New Japan according to Ibushi, which as a partner company to AEW makes the whole thing extra icky). To be fair, didn't this whole MJF money deal thing start with the Ariel Helwani interview (which was back in March) - prior to the Kota stuff surfacing? I don't think any of that started til about mid April at the earliest. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 36 minutes ago, Kevin Wilson said: Well the "M" in "MJF" stands for Max so its not like Sting doing a promo as "Steve" in the TNA days, its his name. One of the biggest wrestlers of AEW talks about his star ratings so talking about star ratings is still within the AEW realm, it would be more weird if say Undertaker talked about star ratings. The promotion was founded partially by wrestlers that are known for flips and star ratings and talk about it on social media on a regular basis, so MJF saying "I don't get paid as much as I don't get star ratings and do flips" is a not way out of left field. Wrestlers have been calling super fans "marks" for decades. Look I can get if someone doesn't like worked shoot promos that they may not like MJF's promo, no argument there. Its not everyone's tastes and I'd never try to convince anyone otherwise. It was definitely that style of promo and I know that rubs people the wrong way. My point was that it wasn't a Russo-style shoot promo, or even Pillman, it was much closer to Punk or Shane Douglas (which of course was partially a shoot but I am sure MJF/Tony styled it off of Punk/Shane and not Russo). My dude came out and criticized other workers' style of work and put over his ability to get the fans to buy what he was doing with a simpler style. That's the most work-shooty business exposing shit that's ever been said on TV. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krone Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 (edited) 1 minute ago, Technico Support said: My dude came out and criticized other workers' style of work and put over his ability to get the fans to buy what he was doing with a simpler style. That's the most work-shooty business exposing shit that's ever been said on TV. Didn't Cody explicitly state in a promo one time that he wouldn't turn face? AEW has always been the inside baseball promotion, so something of this ilk - if anything - is right in line with AEW in my opinion. Edit - I meant to say Cody wouldn't turn heel, but let's be honest. It's funnier if I keep the mistake in. Edited June 2, 2022 by Krone Meltzer 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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