AEW - SEPTEMBER 2022

[odessasteps]

2 minutes ago, tbarrie said:

Who is Johann Schmidt? 

The Red Skull? 

[tbarrie]

Just now, odessasteps said:

The Red Skull? 

Okay, I suck at coming up with random names. Is Kimberly Pryce-Jones also somebody from pop culture?

[punkenhead]

1 hour ago, Jiji said:

Malakai wrote about unfulfilled promises, as just one example. It's ideal to rotate people in and out but make it count when they're in. 

Is it possible that Malakai's "unfulfilled promises" are related to Cody? When Cody left, things changed? HOB have certainly been featured as prominently in AEW as 90% of the roster, so it isn't like they have been buried. It also might have just been unrealistic to put a title on someone held together with baling twine and gumption.

I support people taking a step back, if needed, to recalibrate and recharge. However, if this turns out to be a ruse on Black and Buddy's part to rejoin WWE, that would be low.

At any rate, I am all for Brody King and Julia Hart remaining together. Brody is an absolute delight, and it is fun watching Julia get more comfortable with her character with every appearance. .

[NoFistsJustFlips]

3 hours ago, Stefanie Without Stefanie said:

Yeah, because how dare people enjoy something and want to see more of it, am I right?

This is a fair response to how I worded it. I'll re-calibrate and change it too I'm fine with people wanting to see more of their favorites. Everyone has opinions and all opinions are as valid as the next. I just get annoyed seeing this same opinions over and over construed and positioned as facts. It's not a fact that AEW's roster is bloated or needs trimmed. It's not a fact that so and so needs to be on TV more. Those are opinions.

I'd be much more understanding of those thoughts if they were presented as 'I really like Miro and wish he was on TV more' vs 'AEW is wasting Miro. He isn't on TV enough. They are fucking him up. He's not happy.' The former being a valid opinion. The latter being opinions positioned as fact.

I hope that clarifies what I meant a little better.

[NoFistsJustFlips]

2 hours ago, TheVileOne said:

It's not budget or financial strain that I'm worried about. It's the bloated roster and talents infrequently appearing.

But again this is a false position. If you release Matt Sydal, it won't get Andrade on TV more. If you release Serpentico it doesn't get Miro on TV more. We're 3 years into AEW. I think it's safe to say (whether you like it personally or dislike it personally), the infrequent appearances is the structure TK is using. It's not because of the number on contracted talents. It's because he wants to leave people wanting more vs burning people out and making them all just another guy.

We can debate if we like it or if he's doing a good job at it. But constantly wishing for releases as a catalyst to change that is a misplaced thought. He's not going to change how many appearances talent get in his rotation strategy no matter how many releases there are.

I personally wish he would get less rigid in the Dynamite format and throw in more matches sometimes. Rampage had 8 matches this week. Dynamite never ever goes above 6 per episode. Throw in an 8 match show once in awhile. Throw in a 10 match show once and awhile. That would get more people on TV and more women's matches. But he's steadfast in booking Dynamite at 6 matches a week. I don't know why. But he is.

[just drew]

2 hours ago, Matt D said:

All problems really stem from having hired Cole and O’Reilly, of course.

This man gets it…

[Gorman]

4 hours ago, TheVileOne said:

If it's not the bottom guys that need to go, I'm fine with letting go of Tony Nese, Josh Woods, Ryan Nemeth, Varsity Blonds, and Peter Avalon...when their contracts are up of course.

 

We can't get rid of him because I need this song in my life:

 

And regarding "did everyone get signed to be jobbers?", I remember an interview with Nemeth on AEW Dark where he talked about wanting to be the top guy in the company. 

[just drew]

Also, I still can’t decide if I think those guys are actually leaving or not. I think both guys should look at wwe’s creative right now and ask themselves who’s spot they think they’re filling. Aleister can be really intriguing and a great worker w the right partner, but I don’t see where he fits if Kross, Judgement Day & (allegedly) Bray Wyatt are all on tv. Buddy is a tremendously gifted worker but is limited by his size & promo ability. Who’s midcard title is he challenging for? Gunther? Lashley? I don’t see him being in a better spot there. I hope for their sakes it is just a mental health break, because it seems like a miscalculation for them to believe they’re just going to waltz into top spots…

[For Great Justice]

I think the question of what fat there is to cut that isn’t a jobber is a very interesting one, because it gets very divisive very quickly. Like if I had a say, I’m thrilled that Adam Cole, CM Punk, Thunder Rosa and the Bucks are off my TV, as those are kind of the guys I wanted off anyway if they were active and I was asked this question. 

And as for whose left, I guess of the non-Dark crew a top (bottom) five of Jay Lethal, Matt Hardy, Luchasaurus, Tony Neese and 10 can go. Still all JTTS for the most part.

I guess I’m saying that I’m pretty happy with the upper tier roster construction, the lack of Miro notwithstanding. 

Build the roster around Hobbs, Hayter, Darby, The Acclaimed, Garcia, Butcher and Blade and 2.0 tho

Edited September 26, 2022 by For Great Justice

[The Natural]

Meltzer:

Quote

Regarding Buddy Matthews, AEW has made no comment on the situation. It appears to be a situation similar to Malakai Black but there is nothing on his getting a release at this point. He did an independent show for Fight Life Pro last night and said basically the same thing Black said, that he is going away for a while, needs to recalibrate and it's not good bye, it's see you later. In this case, there is no confirmation of a release although just about everyone figures he's got a long-term deal, wants to go back to WWE and has to work something out to do so. We were also told Tony Khan is not hot on releasing people to go to WWE so we'll have to see how this plays out. But there is a feeling he and Black are done in AEW, and for certain, both are gone for now, meaning Brody King is likely a single with Julia Hart.

Saraya will be making a statement on Wednesday which would likely talk about her AEW direction. If she will wrestle or not would depend on Dr. Michael Sampson and his ruling about what she can and can't do physically. 

[Craig H]

Why or how is it that everyone keeps glossing over Black saying promises weren't kept to him over the last two years? That's referring to WWE and AEW, not just AEW. 

And in any event, Brodie is the real motherfucking deal.

[Octopus]

I’m not in favor of people losing their jobs, outside of disciplinary reasons. I hope that a company can honor their contracts or at the very least work towards agreed upon buyouts. 

[John E. Dynamite]

What is House of Black if not a group of three people who, uh, hold on here... represent the words House and Black?

Replace Buddy with Powerhouse Hobbes. New leader? Obvious. Negro Casas.

[DreamBroken]

Buddy does whatever Black does.

Their WWE feud started with Buddy mimicking the squashes that Black was doing, then their feud consists of Black beating him over and over and over in the same basic match, PPV, RAW, etc with Buddy never winning once. Then they go to the indys and Black beats him again and again. Then they come to AEW and Buddy is Black's underling. Black leaves, Buddy leaves and even copies the same goodbye speech. He was a decent cruiserweight champion, but never saw much in him outside of that. 

[username]

It is forgotten but Buddy was also "kinda" suspended/disciplined in AEW previously due to some issue with working an outside show that may not have been agreed upon and if we are honest hasn't really had a chance to do a lot outside of being the 6th person in trios matches, if he wants out that both seems fine and given that AEW hasn't really seen much use in him beyond that I don't get why they would be opposed beyond the principle of the thing.

I think that if their is concern/a desire for the locker room to become less... let's say explosive moving forward then having people who don't want to be there any longer in it is a questionable decision, and if any of them decide to make a public request for their release it is a legit problem for AEW given how much people asking and in a certain case being denied their release from WWE plays into their "creation myth". If the tv contracts do get sorted out in the immediate future then I could see the wisdom in offering a blanket one time "you want out, you can go" offer to the entire roster afterwards and having a unified "everyone wants to be here and pulling in the same direction" locker room to build around, and it will likely do a good job of tightening up the roster IMO which has grown too fat around the middle.

If that's too much then I think the most reasonable thing for Tony to do would be to tell the people who asked out "listen, give me six months as we've got tv negotiations coming up and the appearance of everyone jumping ship could hurt everyone here. Give me that time to get those taken care of and to prove that this is the best place for you and if after that time you still want out then so be it." I can see the companies wanting the certainty of knowing people are gonna be around X period of time when it comes to planning ahead but I think the bigger deal is that these independent contractors should have the right to quit their jobs and not be throwing their careers away (this is industry-wide opinion, not AEW specific) so if they gotta eat some time off so be it but I don't think anyone benefits from keeping someone in a job they don't want or on the shelf for the better part of 5 years.

[HumanChessgame]

I also got the sense that Black's comments about promises were more about his angles in WWE. He did a few Q&As on twitch after his release and talked extensively about his creative ideas that they never let him go ahead with. Then again if all the HOB business was his idea then I can kinda see why as that was definitely in need of an editor. There's no telling how much of the start/stop of that storyline was due to booking or injuries or what but they never really quite hit their stride despite all being good wrestlers. Black has been one of my favorites for a long time and I wish the best for him.

Buddy has been a fantastic worker ever since 205 Live was a regular thing but he's never caught on outside of that. He got saddled with that awful angle with Rey and his family and hasn't been able to do much in AEW. I'd like to see him get a good shake somewhere but it seems like he just has never found a place to be a regular. He's the type of guy who would be perfect as an upper card player in ROH if they can manage to ever get it going again.

[TheVileOne]

5 hours ago, NoFistsJustFlips said:

But again this is a false position. If you release Matt Sydal, it won't get Andrade on TV more. If you release Serpentico it doesn't get Miro on TV more. We're 3 years into AEW. I think it's safe to say (whether you like it personally or dislike it personally), the infrequent appearances is the structure TK is using. It's not because of the number on contracted talents. It's because he wants to leave people wanting more vs burning people out and making them all just another guy.

We can debate if we like it or if he's doing a good job at it. But constantly wishing for releases as a catalyst to change that is a misplaced thought. He's not going to change how many appearances talent get in his rotation strategy no matter how many releases there are.

I personally wish he would get less rigid in the Dynamite format and throw in more matches sometimes. Rampage had 8 matches this week. Dynamite never ever goes above 6 per episode. Throw in an 8 match show once in awhile. Throw in a 10 match show once and awhile. That would get more people on TV and more women's matches. But he's steadfast in booking Dynamite at 6 matches a week. I don't know why. But he is.

You're entitled to your opinion, but I don't think the bloated roster and the issues its causing is debatable at this point.

[A_K]

12 hours ago, Technico Support said:

Looooool I was just wondering where the “it’s a work” guy has been.  So you’re pivoting to “still a work but Punk is hurt and the Bucks were actually due some time off.” I haven’t seen such a wild “no no no I’m still right!” pivot In conspiracy type thinking since QAnon had to rewrite their whole narrative after THE STORM~! didn’t happen.  You’re hilarious.  Never change.

You're an addled little weasel, aren't you? A handful of hours before your comment .. you couldn't wait to come out of your hovel when I posted for the first time in weeks. If you want to compare our standing in real life then let's take this to DMs before you start bringing in reference to QAnons and whatever other weird, unsolicited social and political pre-occupations and chips on your shoulder that you project here, you absolute nobody.

As for AEW -- no, to be clear I still believe this was a work in the manner that MJF's "fire me" leaving speech was a work. If Punk has a tricep injury suffered in the match that required surgery then he needed to drop the title again, period. A storyline would have been needed one way or another. This gave context for dropping the title and keeps heat on Punk for an eventual return / program / heel turn. I'd be more inclined to believe this was all genuine spur-of-the-moment stuff if it emerged he has not really had surgery and is legitimately suspended without pay. Given there has been no development in the supposed "external investigation" with "lawyers and stuff", I remain most dubious. If one of the two parties involved quietly leaves the company under a lawsuit and they do not build a future grand narrative arc around it, then I will very happily recognise the 'legitimacy' of these entertainers fighting each other. I will be bemused and underwhelmed as it will be contrary to what Khan & co have said they want to evoke on screen and signal severe lack of planning/cohesiveness  to end up in this situation, but happy to recognise nonetheless. We will see where it goes. 

Edited September 26, 2022 by A_K

[Shartnado]

15 hours ago, zendragon said:

Listens to Fleetwood Mac once....

...and decides that Buddy can "Go Your Own Way"?

This pic is giving me very decent Fields of the Nephilim-vibes, actually! I mean, it's also the hat (and long coats), but still...

Edited September 26, 2022 by Shartnado
FotN -vibes, as well!

[Zakk_Sabbath]

Random bit of fantasy signing/booking while I sit through yet another meeting that should've been an email: I would like to think that we're heading to Brody/Wardlow for the TNT title, but in the event they want to continue HOB as a trio (plus Julia) - what would you guys think about an all-hoss supergroup of Brody/Rowan/Damo? 

[Shartnado]

Just now, Zakk_Sabbath said:

Random bit of fantasy signing/booking while I sit through yet another meeting that should've been an email: I would like to think that we're heading to Brody/Wardlow for the TNT title, but in the event they want to continue HOB as a trio (plus Julia) - what would you guys think about an all-hoss supergroup of Brody/Rowan/Damo? 

I'll have one of those, thanks!

[just drew]

2 minutes ago, Zakk_Sabbath said:

Random bit of fantasy signing/booking while I sit through yet another meeting that should've been an email: I would like to think that we're heading to Brody/Wardlow for the TNT title, but in the event they want to continue HOB as a trio (plus Julia) - what would you guys think about an all-hoss supergroup of Brody/Rowan/Damo? 

They should've added Rowan months ago, and Big Damo would rule, too. I still think it's still more likely than not that Mathews and Black are back in AEW when they next wrestle on TV, but there's nothing wrong with expanding stables. That was my biggest complaint about the early Wyatt family; a cult leader that can't add followers is a shitty cult leader.

[Infinit]

Wasn't Malakai's back messed up for a majority of his AEW run? Not sure he had enough time healthy on the roster to have that many promises broken.

[elizium]

2 hours ago, Shartnado said:

...and decides that Buddy can "Go Your Own Way"?

This pic is giving me very decent Fields of the Nephilim-vibes, actually! I mean, it's also the hat (and long coats), but still...

Automatic like for any Fields of the Nephilim mention, who I took my username from in the long, long ago

[Shartnado]

10 minutes ago, elizium said:

Automatic like for any Fields of the Nephilim mention, who I took my username from in the long, long ago

Awesome band, which has also spawned about a dozen more awesome bands with previous members! Too bad that new material by Carl McCoy is so few and far between.

...(ok, a dozen may be stretching it, but I counted 8 so far: The Nefilim, Rubicon, NFD, The Eden House, Sensorium, The Last Rites, October Burns Black, The Saints of Eden)

Edited September 26, 2022 by Shartnado
Almost a dozen, anyway!