Dynamite - 8/17/2022

[The Natural]

 

[The Natural]

[Brandon Bones]

Next week sure is gonna be something.

When I heard the title match was moved up.  My first instinct says somebody backstage is like “we gotta get the title off this guy”.  That is if I’m to take any of this backstage news at all seriously.  
 

I’m going to be careful not to judge too quickly here.  If this really stems from a vague reference to Colt I’m gonna roll my eyes.  After all the shit talk in promos between Punk and MJF.  I’m actually MORE surprised it didn’t come out more blatantly there.  How does Punk even entertain the idea that it doesn’t come up? At all?  Really?  From the guy that likes pipe bombs?  Just make boo boo face after work.  Brother.

So much “for not judging too quickly.  I’m gonna need someone to eyeroll me too.  

By the way… Naturals posting of that HHH promo on Punk definitely “hits differently” now than it did then.  

If it’s a worky/shoot.  Then fine.  Might as well make it one at this point.  But hasn’t AEW been planting seeds for this the whole time?  Punks uncertainty over which tunnel to go down?  “Be careful what you ask for…” Telling Page “it’s just business and he taking things too personally”?  Dogging on Long Island for a week afforded them a chance to have a heel Punk poke his head out.

It has been an hour since I finished that paragraph.  
 

I’ll ask this.  Is AEW doomed?  Is this inevitable backlash fallen in star alignment to snakebite the show as a whole?  Or is it an occupational dispute that’ll eventually iron out like wrinkles?

Also where would AEW be right now if they HAD left the belt on Hangman?  An Omega rematch?

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by Brandon Bones

[Curt McGirt]

I finally got to the INTERNATIONAL FEED and watched Garcia/Danielson. Boy that is so much better than wasting your time on PnP. Garcia is shooting for wrestler of the year, you can't name a bad match he's been in probably and he's been in some of the legit best including the MOTY so far in him vs. Yuta. This is another trophy for the mantelpiece. He takes every single withering blow from Danielson and ekes out a moment of winning despite all of it, and trust me Every. Single. Blow. looks like it would put anyone out. The longer the match goes on it feels like he just hits even harder. The pacing is what really makes the match though. They milk every ring count to a tee and don't wind up to any kind of fever pitch, it is a test of endurance not a build to a crescendo. Measured, taxing. The Jericho crap needs to end with Garcia just going solo now. He needs to be a lone wolf for awhile. Anyway, great match. 

[Curt McGirt]

Oh yeah. Also watched the Punk thing and yeah, he's a dick. We all know that so what else is new. I'm not concerned about any of it. What I want to know is who the second best Eddie that Punk faced is because surely the first is Guerrero. Actually did he say he didn't crack a top three? If so I want to know both 2 and 3. 

[Guest Stefanie Without Stefanie]

Just now, Curt McGirt said:

Oh yeah. Also watched the Punk thing and yeah, he's a dick. We all know that so what else is new. I'm not concerned about any of it. What I want to know is who the second best Eddie that Punk faced is because surely the first is Guerrero. Actually did he say he didn't crack a top three? If so I want to know both 2 and 3. 

Umaga (Eddie Fatu) and Primo (Eddie Colon) would be my guesses.

[Curt McGirt]

Primo? Really? Well, that would line up with Punk being a dick I guess. 

[Guest Stefanie Without Stefanie]

It's either him or Eddie Vegas. It's up to you, the viewer at home, to decide which is more cold-blooded.

[EVA]

Cagematch doesn’t have Punk ever wresting Fast Eddie, despite their ROH overlap. 

[Curt McGirt]

Coulda been Eddie Edwards?

[Guest Stefanie Without Stefanie]

3 minutes ago, EVA said:

Cagematch doesn’t have Punk ever wresting Fast Eddie, despite their ROH overlap. 

https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=1276

That's why I referred to him as "Eddie Vegas".

3 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said:

Coulda been Eddie Edwards?

They've never wrestled.

[EVA]

Ah, I didn’t remember him using that name during his ROH run.

[Belgian_Waffle]

24 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said:

Coulda been Eddie Edwards?

This is who I thought he meant but I also have no idea if he ever wrestled Edwards or not because my knowledge of old ROH is nilch 

 

Edit: just saw confirmed above that they never did.

Edited August 20, 2022 by Belgian_Waffle

[Belgian_Waffle]

6 hours ago, The Natural said:

 

I am usually naive enough to blindly follow Dave's inclinations but this is the first time I'm really just not seeing how this isn't a worked shoot, especially with the ppv main event being moved to Wednesday. He's kind of hedging his own bets with some of the circular logic he applies in this clip too: "I reported on it because it's a major story and it wouldn't be a major story if I hadn't reported on it", "it's not a worked shoot but if it suddenly becomes one and we're all none the wiser that would be a good idea". 

Edited August 20, 2022 by Belgian_Waffle

[Bryan]

22 hours ago, JLowe said:

Excalibur covers for botched moves, JR points them out.

So JR is honest and respects the intelligence of the viewers while Excalibur does not.

@Dog Excalibur has really been struggling recently.

[Bryan]

9 minutes ago, Belgian_Waffle said:

I am usually naive enough to blindly follow Dave's inclinations but this is the first time I'm really just not seeing how this isn't a worked shoot, especially with the ppv main event being moved to Wednesday. He's kind of hedging his own bets with some of the circular logic he applies in this clip too: "I reported on it because it's a major story and it wouldn't be a major story if I hadn't reported on it", "it's not a worked shoot but if it suddenly becomes one and we're all none the wiser that would be a good idea". 

Meltzer’s reporting was corroborated by Sean Ross Sapp. Given his recent laziness in reporting, it’s believable that he could get work. But Sapp has been pretty spot on from what I’ve seen. Also, Colt Cabana did disappear.

Maybe they’ll turn into an angle with Hangman because of the buzz its created online but I don’t think what Punk did to Hangman was planned.

Edited August 20, 2022 by Bryan

[Log]

50 minutes ago, Bryan said:

So JR is honest and respects the intelligence of the viewers while Excalibur does not.

@Dog Excalibur has really been struggling recently.

The job of a pro wrestling commentator is to put over what is happening on the screen. It’s not to respect the intelligence of the viewers. It’s nice if they can do both, of course. 
 

The issue with JR isn’t that he messes up sometimes. That happens to even the best in any sport. The issue with JR is that he actively shits on what is happening on screen and makes comments that his colleagues cannot respond to. That’s not being a good commentator. 
 

JR is a legend in wrestling and deserves to be viewed as so, but he is not performing at the same quality that he once did. Even if someone is a legend in their field, you bench them when they start hindering the team. 

[SturmCRF]

There was a jaw dropping bit in the Fite feed during the main event, in what would have been picture in picture. Taz and Don Callis were discussing the best way to apply some hold or other, and one of them says 'we're talking wrestling!' JR puts on a deranged Eric Cartman voice and repeats, 'We're talking wrestling! Who are you talking to?!' I'm sure both those guys are above punching an old man, but they must have been sorely tempted. He's fucking awful, but I spose there's a certain entertainment to him. His 'I'm a bitch. That bitch. A bitch' mumbling from a couple of weeks ago was stupendous.

Edited August 20, 2022 by SturmCRF

[AxB]

JR was pretty bad in the Attitude Era, but it didn't stand out as much because Lawler was sitting next to him, and so much worse. Vince tried to phase him out loads of times (although that was probably more of an aesthetic thing), but he had powerful friends, and is very over with live crowds.

[Belgian_Waffle]

I know heel JR has historically always been in the lower tier of worst wrestling programs ever conceived but given his obvious very real appreciation of Serena Deeb I wouldn't mind seeing them paired up a la the aborted angle with him managing Doc in the Attitude Era. Given his (also very real) surliness these days i could see him and Deeb playing off each other well and just burying babyfaces for not being as legit as The Professor. Hell, even play up the comparison by having JR dub her "Professor Death". 

[Bryan]

2 hours ago, Log said:

The job of a pro wrestling commentator is to put over what is happening on the screen. It’s not to respect the intelligence of the viewers. It’s nice if they can do both, of course. 
 

The issue with JR isn’t that he messes up sometimes. That happens to even the best in any sport. The issue with JR is that he actively shits on what is happening on screen and makes comments that his colleagues cannot respond to. That’s not being a good commentator. 
 

JR is a legend in wrestling and deserves to be viewed as so, but he is not performing at the same quality that he once did. Even if someone is a legend in their field, you bench them when they start hindering the team. 

Sure, but you can’t effectively put over what is happening to the audience if you don’t have credibility with them.

And you don’t have credibility when you insult the intelligence of the viewers by trying to cover up mistakes with blatantly obvious lies.

Also, because JR is always obviously giving his honest opinion (even if in cantankerous fashion), when he says something positive it means more.

It’s also the job of the wrestlers to make what is happening in the ring believable and to give the commentators something to work with, so they can help tell the story. It’s gotten better but there are still too many that don’t seem to get that in AEW.

JR is arguably the greatest announcer of all time that has called the matches of some of the greatest wrestlers in history. You’d probably be a little cranky if after calling Steamboat Flair and Austin Hart, you had to be exposed to incredibly stupid things like Marko Stunt wrestling on national television, and goofs who can’t even keep track of where the camera is when they do something that exposes them.

 

[Dog]

If you were hired to do one thing, but instead decided to do something entirely different, what do you think would happen? What SHOULD happen?

[NoFistsJustFlips]

On 8/20/2022 at 11:24 AM, Stefanie Without Stefanie said:

Umaga (Eddie Fatu) and Primo (Eddie Colon) would be my guesses.

Late to the party, but the best Eddie of all time is somehow not clicking for everyone? lol

He worked Eddie Guerrero in IWA Mid South and he always put that experience over like crazy.

1000% one of the Eddies is him. I would assume Umaga was the second one.

[Gordi the former AEW fan]

On 8/21/2022 at 12:23 AM, Curt McGirt said:

Oh yeah. Also watched the Punk thing and yeah, he's a dick. We all know that so what else is new. I'm not concerned about any of it. What I want to know is who the second best Eddie that Punk faced is because surely the first is Guerrero. Actually did he say he didn't crack a top three? If so I want to know both 2 and 3. 

@NoFistsJustFlips

Edited August 22, 2022 by Gordlow
Maybe "Eddie" is his nickname for Edge?

[Pedro]

Jim Ross could retire this week and I'd still say two of the best things he gave us were "The Bitch, A bitch"  and the epic "my ass" video.   His NJPW run was a huge decline and once Jan passed it seemed like his heart just wasn't in it anymore.