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AEW - AUGUST 2022


The Natural

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As far as aew’s womens division, I certainly think they’ve made strides since the inception of the company. Some of that can be chalked up to who was available at the time the roster was put together. I certainly subscribe to the theory that losing Kylie Rae so early threw a monkey wrench into a lot of what they had planned early. I don’t think anyone thought Brandi was going to set the world on fire, but I don’t think any reasonable person would’ve foreseen how bad everything she tried would turn out. Britt Baker and Kris Statlander getting hurt so early didn’t help. Big Swole was kind of a sunk cost. For a while that division was held together by Nyla and the Joshis (sweet punk band name, btw) and during the pandemic era your roster got so thin that Anna Jay was having tv matches like 60 days after she started training. 
 

Thunder Rosa is clearly someone TK has a lot of affinity for, and I can see why. She came in and brought a level of credibility to a division that sorely needed it. It’s just insane to me how poorly she’s performed since she signed full time. I can’t help but wonder if she’s like one of those athletes that gets a big extention/contract and coasts because the drive to get paid is gone. The personnel they’ve brought in in the last 18 months has been a legitimate uptick in quality. Ruby, Toni, Tay, And Serena Deeb have thickened the roster tremendously, and Jade Cargill is an absolute STAR. The division as a whole just feels stagnant. I certainly think introducing tag titles would help, but so many of the women have the opposite problem as the men; underexposure. 
 

shit, I rambled. My bad. But there’s a fundamental change that has to happen in aew’s philosophy regarding women before any real change can occur. I still wonder if there’s some edict from tbs or WB that limits the number of womens matches. But getting behind Statlander, Jamie Hayter and one or two other fresh-ish faces (Ruby? Toni Storm?) would do a lot for how the division is perceived…

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If they're making Jade into Bill Goldberg, they need to turn her face.  There is nothing wrong with a one dimensional worker without a ton of character traits if that person has the kind of charisma Jade has.  Shit, wrestling was built in part on the backs of questionable workers who had IT.  But her current booking feels like incels are writing it.  It's so one-note and offensive.  Her and her friends are all angry, catty, hate each other and can't get along.  That's just how bitches are, amirite fellas? 

Edited by Technico Support
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1 hour ago, just drew said:

d like to hear it. I know I have one in mind, too…

Alright, you asked for it...

1 hour ago, Shartnado said:

Can we be certain that your fantasy booking plan to end the streak doesn't include an interference with a taser followed by a Jack-knife power bomb? I'm pretty sure it will not include a fingerpoke of doom a week later to put the title back around Britt's waist, however!

It is remarkably similar, I will be honest.The World Champion in this scenario could be anyone, but you mentioned Britt so I'll use her for the example.

As noted, I would have Jade win a hard fought battle with the World champion Britt, and vacate the TBS title. It's her most even match to date (more selling than she's ever displayed before). Britt shakes her hand after the bell; she's in disbelief, but Jade was the better woman tonight.

Jade wins her next couple defenses on TV handily. She's Bill Goldberg at this point.

Finally, after her (let's say) 4th or 5th title defense, she gets a heel beat down after the win. It's taking 3 or 4 girls to keep her down, but they're stomping her out bad.

Britt runs in for the save! Jade fought so hard, she has earned Britt's respect. Britt assures her, she's got her back.

Later in the show, on commentary, the man in the mask says TK has made it official: next Wednesday/Friday, it will be Jade/Britt teaming up for the first time ever vs. our heels!

Jade starts the match - she slips on a banana peel at some point, heels take control. Heat, yadda, yadda.

Jade's crawling over for the hot tag - Britt is reaching with all her might. Tag made, crowd pops. Britt comes in like a house afire and... Lays down. 123.

The KhanTrons confirm it with a graphic: 50-1. Mass confusion and anger. Maybe have a few ladies rush the ring to unsuccessfully try to take out the heels. One heel (a Hayter or Deeb type would be good for this) is choking the shit out of Stokely ala Danielson/Justin Roberts in that Nexus angle. What have we just witnessed?!

Britt the following week: "You might have taken my title, but I will forever be the person that handed you your first loss, Jade. And I didn't even need to wrestle you to do it." *Boos* "Oh, oh.. I'm sorry. Did I *rob you of your little moment?* Did you think some *hot new talent* was going to come in here and make a name for herself by pinning Jade? Sorry, but... It was me! It's always been me. This is always going to be my divisi..." Jade runs out of the crowd in street clothes like Owen Hart at the Dec '97 DX IYH and just pummels her, maybe Britt even gets color

Finally, Jade wins the blowoff at the PPV, and is ostensibly now more over for having lost one. Now you can do whatever you want with her because she's still the world champion, but has already eaten a pin. Sure its just a tag match, but IMO, it's the visual that really matters. And this way, you've hedged your bets --  if it doesn't work out, you can always go back to the well and do the MJF thing of "never been pinned in singles competition."

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

 

Edited by Zakk_Sabbath
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1 hour ago, Octopus said:

The theoretical power of shame is action we take. Among the self-hatred, do we better ourselves and make strives towards improvements even with the understood acknowledgment that we will inevitably fall again? And for the improvements or lack of in booking is a discussion point that could be neat.

Yeah, I really appreciate the philosophical dive you went here but this is what I'm getting at. If Khan doesn't feel the slightest bit of shame in how things are going with the women's division, then it's unlikely things will change. Shame is destructive, reformative, and can lead to creation. I don't enjoy riding billionaire dink but I do like that Khan generally learns lessons from mistakes. This is one area in which if lessons are being learned they're going at a molasses pace. 

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Now that it doesn’t matter, my opinion on 2-night events: from a storytelling and pace of booking angel it would likely be good. But as a consumer, I personally wouldn’t be able to afford it. Any raises of pricing or amount of ppv’s. Financially, I can do 4 spread out.

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I've said it for a while and I will say it again - AEW's biggest problem is 2 fold.

1.) Their roster is so bloated right now. They have the WWE effect where we want 800 guys to be pushed in 10 spots. I went through the roster the other day (and would encourage some of you to do so as well) and look at everyones records. Out of about 90 active wrestlers (that in and of itself is a lot for 3 hours of weekly programming), around 70-75 have winning records. How exactly does that really help anybody get over? That's almost 50/50 booking except with giving those guys wins on Dark. How many guys get pushed on Dark and get a beefy record just for one TV match to lose and be booted back to Dark? 

2.) Long competitive TV matches give you less time to get more talent on the show. When you have a 2 hour show that runs about 1:40 with commercials, that leaves you with 100 minutes to get as much on TV as possible. If AEW had WWE's 5 hours of programming a week, it might work - but even then I don't think it would because AEW doesn't have the gravitas that WWE has for fans (not the hardcore fans) to tune into 5 hours worth of programming a week.

Let's be honest, with only 3 hours of TV every week, how do you manage to fit (here we go) Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, CM Punk, Hangman Page, Bryan Danielson, Miro, MJF, Adam Cole, Jungle Boy, Darby Allin, Will Hobbs, Hook, Ricky Starks, Andrade, Eddie Kingston and the list goes on and on. I don't know if this is by design either, but I feel there's no direct "world title scene" if you will. Yeah we got the main eventers up there (pretty much everyone I just listed) but who would you classify as a good TNT (comparable to IC Title) holder? You have so many people you could consider "above" the title, but not within reach of the World Title. Darby should've realistically been a real challenger with a feud for the World title by now with how much they pushed him when he was TNT champion. Instead, he's fallen to the back of the line while the other shiny new toys come in.

And don't take this as AEW slander since I love AEW with all my heart and want to see it succeed - but it's clear that the waters are a little more murky than they used to be. Maybe part of that is taking the time to put the spotlight on NJPW or Ring of Honor and thus diluting your own brand in the process. Like say TK hadn't bought RoH when he did, I think we would be in a fine situation right now, but it's just crossing too many streams at once. Focus on AEW being AEW, you can do your Forbidden Door shows and stuff too, but then compounding that with RoH integration as well? 

 

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8 minutes ago, Krone Meltzer said:



2.) Long competitive TV matches give you less time to get more talent on the show. When you have a 2 hour show that runs about 1:40 with commercials, that leaves you with 100 minutes to get as much on TV as possible. If AEW had WWE's 5 hours of programming a week, it might work - but even then I don't think it would because AEW doesn't have the gravitas that WWE has for fans (not the hardcore fans) to tune into 5 hours worth of programming a week.

Let's be honest, with only 3 hours of TV every week, how do you manage to fit (here we go) Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, CM Punk, Hangman Page, Bryan Danielson, Miro, MJF, Adam Cole, Jungle Boy, Darby Allin, Will Hobbs, Hook, Ricky Starks, Andrade, Eddie Kingston and the list goes on and on. I don't know if this is by design either, but I feel there's no direct "world title scene" if you will. Yeah we got the main eventers up there (pretty much everyone I just listed) but who would you classify as a good TNT (comparable to IC Title) holder? You have so many people you could consider "above" the title, but not within reach of the World Title. Darby should've realistically been a real challenger with a feud for the World title by now with how much they pushed him when he was TNT champion. Instead, he's fallen to the back of the line while the other shiny new toys come in.

And don't take this as AEW slander since I love AEW with all my heart and want to see it succeed - but it's clear that the waters are a little more murky than they used to be. Maybe part of that is taking the time to put the spotlight on NJPW or Ring of Honor and thus diluting your own brand in the process. Like say TK hadn't bought RoH when he did, I think we would be in a fine situation right now, but it's just crossing too many streams at once. Focus on AEW being AEW, you can do your Forbidden Door shows and stuff too, but then compounding that with RoH integration as well? 

 

You bring up great logistical points as to why long free matches are an issue, but this is entirely why I love AEW and my main reason for supporting it. If there was less mouth watering action I would likely have less interest. Even when the booking is meh, the savior for me is the in-ring product.

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2 hours ago, Technico Support said:

If they're making Jade into Bill Goldberg, they need to turn her face.  There is nothing wrong with a one dimensional worker without a ton of character traits if that person has the kind of charisma Jade has.  Shit, wrestling was built in part on the backs of questionable workers who had IT.  But her current booking feels like incels are writing it.  It's so one-note and offensive.  Her and her friends are all angry, catty, hate each other and can't get along.  That's just how bitches are, amirite fellas? 

I think Red Velvet getting injured threw the Baddies angle off track and it's devolved to the stereotype. They were getting cool heel heat and working as a unit. They were catty towards other women but not each other. It alsoi allowed them to build opponents for Jade by having them have to fight Hogan and Red first, while she/MMS/Stoke "hand-picked" tomato cans.

That said, she's improving a ton in the ring but Jade isn't good enough on the mic yet to go without a mouthpiece. She's becoming a very stale catchphrase spouting machine to the point you'd think she was trained by the competition.

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6 minutes ago, JLowe said:

I think Red Velvet getting injured threw the Baddies angle off track and it's devolved to the stereotype. They were getting cool heel heat and working as a unit. They were catty towards other women but not each other. It alsoi allowed them to build opponents for Jade by having them have to fight Hogan and Red first, while she/MMS/Stoke "hand-picked" tomato cans.

That said, she's improving a ton in the ring but Jade isn't good enough on the mic yet to go without a mouthpiece. She's becoming a very stale catchphrase spouting machine to the point you'd think she was trained by the competition.

Leyla Hirsch getting injured also threw off Statlanders push pre Velvet reinventing herself and joining The Baddie Section.

 

Injuries has truly been a thorn in AEW's side

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13 minutes ago, JLowe said:

She's becoming a very stale catchphrase spouting machine to the point you'd think she was trained by the competition.

God yes, I forgot that part.  Say something.  Say something else.  Wrap up with I'M THAT BITCH.  Captivating.

It's too bad there are no good promos in the locker room she could talk to about trying to improve.

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5 minutes ago, Technico Support said:

God yes, I forgot that part.  Say something.  Say something else.  Wrap up with I'M THAT BITCH.  Captivating.

It's too bad there are no good promos in the locker room she could talk to about trying to improve.

You forgot finding a way to force "Cut the shit Tony" in.

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13 minutes ago, (BP) said:

It’s curious how tentative they’re being with Jade while they’ve spent over a year letting Britt and Rosa get exposed regularly. 

Feel like there are levels here. She's done well when her boundaries are pushed a bit and almost always overdelivers but she is not in the position to go 15 minutes I think. 

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3 hours ago, Technico Support said:

If they're making Jade into Bill Goldberg, they need to turn her face.  There is nothing wrong with a one dimensional worker without a ton of character traits if that person has the kind of charisma Jade has.  Shit, wrestling was built in part on the backs of questionable workers who had IT.  But her current booking feels like incels are writing it.  It's so one-note and offensive.  Her and her friends are all angry, catty, hate each other and can't get along.  That's just how bitches are, amirite fellas? 

Personally I would rather they turn Nyla Rose face. She has such a likeability to her that I think if she got to show her personality more than just "grr I'm a monster!" I think people would take to her right away. Let her be the biggest threat Jade has ever dealt with, and have Jade defeat her. Then after that you turn Jade face.

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6 hours ago, Octopus said:

Blackpool Combat Club is my favorite thing in wrestling right now. The concept of being proud wrestlers, the wrestling itself, the use of Regal on commentary, the elbows, most of them being good guys while Danielson is still pretty much a prick. Good stuff.

Great stuff. I like how it's kinda a tweener fraction. BD never turned back face, Yuta kinda told Trent where to go and even CC kinda worked heel a bit in his recent match against lard lad.

Re: The women. The one thing I agreed with swole about was that its hard for the women to get off the youtube shows. When HHH was booking NXT (black and gold edition) it felt like it was pretty evenly gender balanced. I'd like to see AEW work towards that because I feel it can be done

On another note... Love That Danhausen! 

 

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2 hours ago, Krone Meltzer said:

I've said it for a while and I will say it again - AEW's biggest problem is 2 fold.

1.) Their roster is so bloated right now. They have the WWE effect where we want 800 guys to be pushed in 10 spots. I went through the roster the other day (and would encourage some of you to do so as well) and look at everyones records. Out of about 90 active wrestlers (that in and of itself is a lot for 3 hours of weekly programming), around 70-75 have winning records. How exactly does that really help anybody get over? That's almost 50/50 booking except with giving those guys wins on Dark. How many guys get pushed on Dark and get a beefy record just for one TV match to lose and be booted back to Dark? 

2.) Long competitive TV matches give you less time to get more talent on the show. When you have a 2 hour show that runs about 1:40 with commercials, that leaves you with 100 minutes to get as much on TV as possible. If AEW had WWE's 5 hours of programming a week, it might work - but even then I don't think it would because AEW doesn't have the gravitas that WWE has for fans (not the hardcore fans) to tune into 5 hours worth of programming a week.

Let's be honest, with only 3 hours of TV every week, how do you manage to fit (here we go) Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, CM Punk, Hangman Page, Bryan Danielson, Miro, MJF, Adam Cole, Jungle Boy, Darby Allin, Will Hobbs, Hook, Ricky Starks, Andrade, Eddie Kingston and the list goes on and on. I don't know if this is by design either, but I feel there's no direct "world title scene" if you will. Yeah we got the main eventers up there (pretty much everyone I just listed) but who would you classify as a good TNT (comparable to IC Title) holder? You have so many people you could consider "above" the title, but not within reach of the World Title. Darby should've realistically been a real challenger with a feud for the World title by now with how much they pushed him when he was TNT champion. Instead, he's fallen to the back of the line while the other shiny new toys come in.

And don't take this as AEW slander since I love AEW with all my heart and want to see it succeed - but it's clear that the waters are a little more murky than they used to be. Maybe part of that is taking the time to put the spotlight on NJPW or Ring of Honor and thus diluting your own brand in the process. Like say TK hadn't bought RoH when he did, I think we would be in a fine situation right now, but it's just crossing too many streams at once. Focus on AEW being AEW, you can do your Forbidden Door shows and stuff too, but then compounding that with RoH integration as well? 

 

I somewhat agree with you on all of this, but I do think the big roster and limited tv time are almost an advantage. Would I like to see Bryan Danielson wrestle twice, maybe three times a week? Yeah, I probably wouldn't complain. But, it's also not the worst thing that I don't get that since it makes his matches more special.

I don't want to WWE bash, but at least AEW can't run matchups into the ground like them. The Usos and New Day have had some amazing matches together. But, they've had so many, that none of them really stand out, IMO. Like, I can't sit here and pull up one of their matches that sticks out from the others.

It's a double-edged sword. On the one hand, I would like to see someone like Miro in action more often. I enjoy seeing him wrestle. But, I will probably get to keep enjoying seeing him wrestle longer, because there won't be that burn out.

Again, not to WWE bash, and not to say that anyone here is acting this way, but I think sometimes that the monopoly that WWE has had for the last two decades has made a lot of fans have a very narrow view on how things "should" be done. I personally don't want more ppvs. I don't want to see the same guys/gals wrestling each other week in and week out. WWE is very successful and that has worked out for them very well. I just don't prefer it.

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Catching up on Rampage, I’ve been a huge fan of Ol’ Mancer since his MLW run, he was often the highlight of those shows.

I’m not sure where he first in AEW, he could be Hangman’s friend or mortal enemy, or both.

Alternatively they could repackage him as a knight, full Lanny Poffo get up, and call him Sir Mancelot.

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52 minutes ago, John from Cincinnati said:

Tying into that, next week's show is being presented by the Game of Thrones prequel. Big Danielson match feels like an obvious fit. 

Bunny could almost be a Targaryen, use her.

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