Rampage - 8/5/2022

[Brandon Bones]

I keep being distracted because my instincts keep telling me Mance is doing a Steve Austin impression.  It was a good promo though.  That being said I wasn’t really into this match with Mox.  They sold it prior as a fighty brawl brawl.  Instead it was whatever this mish mash of bleeding and leglocks was supposed to be.  I’ll give Warner another shot if AEW does.  But I don’t think he got much out of this.  Don’t be a Warhorse.  A rare miss for Mox.

Leila has to have spent some time at the PC, right?  
 

I like the booking of Madison being plugged into a quick program with Jade.  But this match wasn’t great.  I wonder what the chances are for Rayne being remembered if her highest exposure is what?  Peak Impact?  I didn’t watch any of that stuff so I’ve got no knowledge of her beyond the name.  But I am aware she has something of a reputation and some credit to spend in padding Jades record.  
 

The street fight was fun.  It may not have been the original plan.  I like that it’s worked out this way with Swerve and Lee.  That German Suplex off the apron was nuts.  The “monkeys in the truck” figured out how to shoot that top rope double stomp.  So that helped.  

 

[HarryArchieGus]

Why is Cross-Raynes such hilarity to me!? William Regal may be the first wrestler I can remember thinking - I could have a nice roadtrip listening to music with this gentleman. Between his love for two tone and northern soul he fires off a random Moz reference He 'bear(s) more grudges than lonely high court judges'. Speaking of commentary, further hilarity, as JR tells the audience during Mance/Mox 'they know how to fall' which unfortunately for Jim sounds like he's telling the fans 'wrestling, it's all fake' than his intended and completely fucking unnecessary sarcasm. Ol' Mancer looked like he was a bit too cautious with the company champion on those clotheslines and such, but fun bout nontheless. Considering they gave him promo time (a bit awkward to cut to shots of Mox in ring without the live sound) I would think he's gonna be around for the long haul. He's the new and improved Jimmy Havoc! So much laughter on one show - that great Sterling spot - Macho elbow indeed! Smart Mark's having a great week. Josh Woods needs some fine tuning, but he's looking better and better. This is JR's first look at Woods because of course he doesn't watch any of the product. I think the most exciting thing of all was how over Takeshita's gotten with the AEW crowd. Cannot wait for the Claudio match! Only a Briscoes-FTR bout could equal this kind of anticipation of thrills. BOTB3 is surely the strongest yet. And thanks for posting the old (I slept upon them in the green era) Road Reports @DEAN@Curt McGirt. And well done with this new one @porksweats! Something to consider for my local TO shows.

Edited August 6, 2022 by HarryArchieGus

[Matt D]

• I don't have a ton of thoughts about Mance vs Mox. It feels like a good entry into Mox's 2022, just another match on the list. Mance kind of comes off as the Rock'n'Roll RPMs of tough guys, the sort that could have a great run in Puerto Rico or be the center of a tag team division in Central States, good hand, nice variety to see once or twice, but.. What stood out the most was how Mox chained together offense and violence in the last couple of minutes. That was just nuts and really defines who and what he is, right down to having to switch the arm. I do wonder if this match was about protecting him going into a loss on Weds?
• I am the lowest guy on the board on Takeshita but I appreciate how genuine he comes off as and how he appreciated the fans here. And it's not like his stuff doesn't look good and impactful. It's just the pacing. I'm glad he got to have a moment like that even if he's not my guy.
• Grey vs Rayne was tough. Let's talk about the chinlock. That's what drew the first puppies chant I've heard in years. The problem was threefold. First, the fans haven't built up emotional attachment to Grey or Rayne yet. If it was Athena or Ruby working from underneath and even Hogan or Velvet on top, it would have been fine. Grey did a good job working the crowd throughout it and it didn't matter. Second, she came into it too soon. They had to wait until the commercial break was over to come out of it and if they had gone into it even a few seconds later, it would have helped. Third, people suck, right? I did love Stoke grooving to Grey's entrance music.
• The main definitely overdelivered. 2022 Tony Nese is the world's best possible Seth Rollins. He understands where he belongs on a card, how his athletic ability an execution best helps the company, and does what he's supposed to do in order to get things over and be entertaining instead of just trying to spam great workrate matches or whatever. If I'm going to watch guy with abs do an overwrought laugh, I definitely want it to be Nese. The story was smart as it was all about keeping Lee out of the match, right until they weren't able to anymore. Sterling goes through all the motions and does it correctly but doesn't have the spark of brilliance. I bet if Stoke was in there, after the wrench shot (which came right after the "Whose House?" bit, he would have done a "Whose Wrench?" thing and it would have been awesome. Basically, he shows up and does his job and is effective, but isn't transcendent. Woods looked like a beast at the end with that German, and Keith looked like a beast in blocking it for so long. Win win (unless you're the table). This is the best environment for Swerve where all of his goofy stuff can just fit into the chaos. AEW is smart in not doing street fights more than every few months because they don't feel overdone and almost always deliver.

Edited August 6, 2022 by Matt D

[HarryArchieGus]

4 minutes ago, Matt D said:

• The main definitely overdelivered. 2022 Tony Nese is the world's best possible Seth Rollins. He understands where he belongs on a card, how his athletic ability an execution best helps the company, and does what he's supposed to do in order to get things over and be entertaining instead of just trying to spam great workrate matches or whatever. If I'm going to watch guy with abs do an overwrought laugh, I definitely want it to be Nese. 

Well said, Nese haters take note. Also a good read for those who bellyache about wrestlers in similar roles being 'dead' or whatever (Kazarian comes to mind).

[Infinit]

That was a fantastic hour of pro wres!

I like ol' Mancer...really great opener. I was waiting for a JAS beat down on Mox at the end of the match to build up Wednesday night. I wonder if Mox's bad hand will play a role in the title match.

Takeshita is soooo freaking talented. His matches stand out. The speed, the spring, the crispness. Super pumped for his match with Claudio.

Women's match was good...but kinda dragged a bit.

The main was mad fun. Swerve chucked that tool box damn hard. The Woods/Lee table spot was wild. I can see Swerve and Lee having a long run with great matches with a wide variety of opponents.

Edited August 6, 2022 by Infinit

[JLowe]

10 hours ago, TimLivingston said:

Soup needs an AEW-produced YouTube show where he visits all the fast food joints. It would rule. 
 

Mance Warner will punch a motherfucker right in the face.

 

Swerve tried to kill a man with a toolbox. 
 

A good hour of professional wrestling. 

If I haven’t said this before, Thunder Rosa needs to take Soup to this restaurant in San Antonio that makes 3.5 pound cinnamon rolls. It was on Man vs Food. I just looked and while the original restaurant closed there is a bakery (owned by the son of the restaurant owner) that makes them.

[NoFistsJustFlips]

Mance is a great promo. He has a solid look / character and knows how to play it. But then the bell rings. And he's not very good. I am shocked no one has commented on his punches, since this is DVDR after all lol. They were terrible. Slow motion. No snap. Mox noticed too, as he started jamming his face into the punches, the only way he got any contact out of them.

I hope he isn't under contract. He'd jump the line for me become their worst signing.

[DEAN]

3 minutes ago, NoFistsJustFlips said:

Mance is a great promo. He has a solid look / character and knows how to play it. But then the bell rings. And he's not very good. I am shocked no one has commented on his punches, since this is DVDR after all lol. They were terrible. Slow motion. No snap. Mox noticed too, as he started jamming his face into the punches, the only way he got any contact out of them.

I hope he isn't under contract. He'd jump the line for me become their worst signing.

So you are saying he is the new Johnny Grunge.

[Curt McGirt]

His punches on Serpentico were great. His lariat was great too. I really think he had stage fright or didn't want to hurt Mox honestly. It wasn't the same guy in that match. 

I figured out the Taco Bell connection with Mr. Soup from a commercial last night! They are selling a breakfast box with... you guessed it... mini Cinnabon. 

EDIT: Again with those punches, watch again -- he is using short knuckle punches to Moxley's cut, trying to get him to bleed hardway. He should have just thrown the haymakers. 

Edited August 6, 2022 by Curt McGirt

[Tarheel Moneghetti]

Personally, I thought Mox-Mance was the high point of the show.  Kinda just wandered off during the main event tag to go look at the peice of cardboard I slid under my Jeep to check for a leak.  

[Coletti]

The great thing about Nese is that not only does he understand his position and execute it so damn well, he's also talented enough that if you had to plug him into a role for a brief time, he'd likely nail it. Absolute definition of a good hand. 

Also, I now need to see Nese/Woods vs The Acclaimed. 

The show didn't capture my attention like it normally does but it still had more good than bad, and it's nice to see different faces from time to time! Deep roster ftw. 

Edited August 6, 2022 by christopher.annino

[chriskbrown50]

The main event was really good. Mark Sterling its quickly turning into one of my favorites.  Old school heel manager, almost a throw back to the WWE 80s/90s. I would love to see him in a more prominent role. 

 

[porksweats]

1 hour ago, christopher.annino said:

The great thing about Nese is that not only does he understand his position and execute it so damn well, he's also talented enough that if you had to plug him into a role for a brief time, he'd likely nail it. Absolute definition of a good hand. 

Also, I now need to see Nese/Woods vs The Acclaimed. 

The show didn't capture my attention like it normally does but it still had more good than bad, and it's nice to see different faces from time to time! Deep roster ftw. 

Sterling on behalf of Woods/Nese vs The Acclaimed would be one helluva Mark Henry Time For The Main Event Segment.

My money for the Woods/Nese team would be taking on Chuck/Trent honestly

[Jamal]

I'm a Madison fan but the match with Leila did drag. The post-match stuff was great though from the trash talk to the Kiera sneak. Madison will be great as the vet fed to Jade and she can also be plugged in as a third with Athena and Stat to counter Leila/Velvet.

[grilledcheese]

5 hours ago, Brandon Bones said:

Don’t be a Warhorse.

If I had a wrestling school, I'd paint this on the wall like suburban assholes do with "Live Laugh Love". 

That guy sucks out loud. I have zero idea how that low-rent horseshit got to be such a big deal. 

[HarryArchieGus]

3 minutes ago, grilledcheese said:

If I had a wrestling school, I'd paint this on the wall like suburban assholes do with "Live Laugh Love". 

That guy sucks out loud. I have zero idea how that low-rent horseshit got to be such a big deal. 

Maybe it’s a combination of working hard and being well liked by his peers and his local audiences? Er Wait, a guy making a small name for himself on the indies is a ‘big deal’? 

[Brandon Bones]

4 minutes ago, grilledcheese said:

If I had a wrestling school, I'd paint this on the wall like suburban assholes do with "Live Laugh Love". 

That guy sucks out loud. I have zero idea how that low-rent horseshit got to be such a big deal. 

I’m sure the novelty of the gimmick must appeal to someone somewhere.

Like that one casual fan that only shows up once a year at Mania and talks about the fucking Boogeyman all night.  He’d be a Warhorse fan.  
 

And then you look at your friend through with Boogyfan is connected.  And he is all: “I’m sorry.  He is my sisters fiancé and she begged me for him to meet the guys.”
 

Blah blah blah… fuck off.  That guy.

 

[grilledcheese]

4 minutes ago, HarryArchieGus said:

Maybe it’s a combination of working hard and being well liked by his peers and his local audiences? Er Wait, a guy making a small name for himself on the indies is a ‘big deal’? 

When all your bookings are in VFW's and HS gyms and you land a shot on TV as part of an ongoing open challenge gimmick, yeah, I'd say that is a relatively big deal, at least as it pertains to his upward trends as a performer / commodity. I'm sure he's a really nice guy, and I don't wish him any ill-will, nor do I begrudge him making money. But he doesn't appeal to me, his in-ring work doesn't do anything for me, and his "I'm metal" gimmick is kind of dumb, in my opinion. I don't think that any of the stuff he does on Twitter or in video promos is funny, it just feels like I'm supposed to laugh at the idea of what it is that he's doing, as opposed to him making actually funny comments and / or actions. Then in the ring, he's just very regular. Boring even. Get beat on for a while, then do the slow-motion quasi-Ultimate Warrior headbang walk to show me that he's powering up, then hit a bunch of pedestrian offense and set up for the doublestomp or the admittedly pretty good-looking flying elbowdrop.

Dude is out here acting like he is Iron Maiden, while I contend that he is more along the lines of wrestling's Stryper. People are totally allowed to like Stryper, but the Yellow and Black attack just ain't for me.

[porksweats]

36 minutes ago, grilledcheese said:

If I had a wrestling school, I'd paint this on the wall like suburban assholes do with "Live Laugh Love". 

That guy sucks out loud. I have zero idea how that low-rent horseshit got to be such a big deal. 

you can blame me, I was heavy on supporting Warhorse at the start on Twitter and I've got no shame about it

[John from Cincinnati]

5 hours ago, Matt D said:

• Let's talk about the chinlock. That's what drew the first puppies chant I've heard in years.

Anybody else have trouble hearing this? Not saying it didn't happen, but I was having difficulty making it out both off TV and with headphones. Even checked out the vaunted international feed for full context in hopes to getting a better read on what the crowd was up to, but no dice.

Just wondering if this hit anyone's ear either the same as Matt or different. 

[grilledcheese]

20 minutes ago, porksweats said:

you can blame me, I was heavy on supporting Warhorse at the start on Twitter and I've got no shame about it

I blame no one for nothing when it comes to enjoyment of entertainment. I am a firm believer in the idea of no "guilty pleasures". Fuck anyone who shits on you for something you like. I don't have to like that thing, and you can still think it rules ass.

My wife said one time to one of our boys, "Don't ever yuck someone else's yum", and I try very hard to make sure I abide by that rule.

[Matt D]

16 minutes ago, John from Cincinnati said:

Anybody else have trouble hearing this? Not saying it didn't happen, but I was having difficulty making it out both off TV and with headphones. Even checked out the vaunted international feed for full context in hopes to getting a better read on what the crowd was up to, but no dice.

Just wondering if this hit anyone's ear either the same as Matt or different. 

It was during PiP.

[HarryArchieGus]

1 hour ago, grilledcheese said:

I blame no one for nothing when it comes to enjoyment of entertainment. I am a firm believer in the idea of no "guilty pleasures". Fuck anyone who shits on you for something you like. I don't have to like that thing, and you can still think it rules ass.

My wife said one time to one of our boys, "Don't ever yuck someone else's yum", and I try very hard to make sure I abide by that rule.

Isn't 'That guy sucks out loud. I have zero idea how that low-rent horseshit got to be such a big deal' pretty similar to somebody saying yuck to somebody else's yum? I saw Warhorse exactly twice. Once, against Silver as research for the TNT Title match (which actually sold me on SIlver), and a second time in said title bout. I wasn't impressed. But I don't resent the effort. Your comment seemed like harsh dunking on somebody who probably doesn't make a living doing this and is probably making some shitty sacrifices, and working hard, towards a potential career. Seeing as he doesn't even seem to get work (correct me if I'm wrong) from Corgan, Bauer, Bret 'Whatshisname' or D'Amore - I don't even understand how he's on anybody's periphery outside his local indy? I wouldn't call most of the rosters of any of those aforementioned companies a big deal and at the very least the Impact roster have paying contracts. 

2 hours ago, grilledcheese said:

When all your bookings are in VFW's and HS gyms and you land a shot on TV as part of an ongoing open challenge gimmick, yeah, I'd say that is a relatively big deal, at least as it pertains to his upward trends as a performer / commodity. I'm sure he's a really nice guy, and I don't wish him any ill-will, nor do I begrudge him making money.

This kinda sounds like you do begrudge him. That said, if he suddenly becomes 'All Elite' perhaps I'll feel the same.

Edited August 6, 2022 by HarryArchieGus

[porksweats]

1 hour ago, John from Cincinnati said:

Anybody else have trouble hearing this? Not saying it didn't happen, but I was having difficulty making it out both off TV and with headphones. Even checked out the vaunted international feed for full context in hopes to getting a better read on what the crowd was up to, but no dice.

Just wondering if this hit anyone's ear either the same as Matt or different. 

Didn't hear anyone chant Puppies there live, there was an Armbar chant at one point.

[grilledcheese]

46 minutes ago, HarryArchieGus said:

Isn't 'That guy sucks out loud. I have zero idea how that low-rent horseshit got to be such a big deal' pretty similar to somebody saying yuck to somebody else's yum? 

This kinda sounds like you do begrudge him. That said, if he suddenly becomes 'All Elite' perhaps I'll feel the same.

You don't seem to be understanding what I mean by that statement then. I only mean that my opinion of something doesn't have any impact on your ability to enjoy that same thing that I think sucks. We can talk about why it works for you but not for me, but I'll never motherfuck you for liking something, even if I think it's wack. That's what that statement means for me.

You snipped the part of my post where I break down exactly why his performance doesn't do anything for me. I'm not sure if that's just you willfully ignoring that part, or you just saw something you wanted to use to try to fire back a response, so you did so.

In my post, I repeatedly state, "I think" or "in my opinion". That's me speaking for myself, as a consumer. I'm not going to buy his merch, and I'm not buying any tickets specifically to see him. I'm not going to stand up and face away from the ring while he's working, but I might boo him, regardless of whether or not he's supposed to be the babyface. He doesn't connect with me as a character, and here we are, on a discussion board about pro wrestling, and I'm discussing my likes and dislikes!!

I don't have to dig his shit, and I can make statements as to why it doesn't work for me while not shitting on your ability to like something. I break down pretty well what I think is unlikable for me about that gimmick, and also flat-out state that I don't wish him any ill will, and you somehow see that as me being disapproving or resentful of his success. (Which you don't seem to think is successful enough? I don't know. You lost me a little bit on that part.)

You seem to think that my statement means I want to change someone's mind. I don't. I'm expressing my dislike of an artist's art, and that doesn't make anyone beholden to changing their thoughts.

You have some thoughts about what constitutes "respectable" ring attire that I don't agree with, but I'm not out here looking to change your mind about them. Your opinion is yours, and it's correct for you. It doesn't have to be for anyone else. 

Edited August 6, 2022 by grilledcheese