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now that's a tease to call 1-900-909-9900 if ever I heard one

Nana dancing is a highlight of every single AEW show.

Max got the crowd to boo the idea of him having to wrestle and defend his title. He’s at the height of his powers.

Chin up Tits out And watch for the shooooooe!

This is soooooo cute. Love Christian breaking character for her at the end.

Prince Nana being on a nationally-televised promotion in 2023 makes me very happy. I always think how funny it would be to talk to an ROH fan from like 2006 and tell them what's going on in wrestling right now. "Roderick Strong is being heavily featured in a major program right now, and it's because of his character work!"

Roddy’s whole persona works for me because Bennett and Taven are so committed to the bit. They may never be anything higher than challengers for the ROH tag or trios titles, but their characters definitely have a place on Dynamite or Collision. The shirts, overacting on showing concern, rushing to put the neck brace on Roddy, etc. were killing me. It’s so good. Swerve continues to be at the top of the lower A tier heels. Christian is probably the top of the A tier, so that’s good company for him to be in. And challenging Hangman is a cool direction to go in. I don’t think Swerve is going to win that feud, but I also don’t think he needs to. Hangman having a new fill in Swerve works for me.

You gotta one-up him. "Pfft, you believe Punk got fired?"

Luke Harper and Mike Shaw have to be up there for guys who could pass as Southerners (looks-wise) who were practically Canadians (Harper from Rochester and Mike Shaw from the Upper Peninsula) Ronnie Garvin would be the king of "Guys who could pass as Southerners but were actually Canadians" list

Since Mox is on kind of his own chaotic neutral plane, Samoa Joe, Christian, Swerve and Ricky Starks are the top heels in the company. That’s like 4 of my top 5 dudes. It’s awesome.

Winning Time vibes. Synergy!

AEW rules the motherfucking world?

"Chin up, tits out, and watch for the shoe." I can't believe Toni Storm has been hiding her weirdo light under a bushel for so long

THE CUTEST PUPPY IN THE HISTORY OF DOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://thehardtimes.net/culture/straight-edge-friend-total-scumbag-in-every-other-way-possible/

Nice try, I'm not getting fired for cause

I still have the main event to watch, but the best part of the show was absolutely Nana dancing down to the ring.

Swerve Strickland for AEW Champion please.

Even though I've met a few okay sXe HC dudes, I completely agree that a lot of 'em can be self-righteous douche canoes.

Chad Gable is, improbably, a 20 year veteran and has NEVER held a singles title. Anywhere. After this Gunther series, that must be changed. Immediately.

It is for me, and it's weird why it is. I love that you can totally see the strings. He's playing a heel, playacting as a face. What I like about it is that it isn't the usual pro wrestling face turn where suddenly they're a good person. He's still that baseline "scumbag", but you can see that he's getting off on the crowd cheering his stuff, so he plays into it even more. I don't buy that he's actually turned over a new leaf. It plays like he's doing it to feed his own ego, but maybe in a more positive manner than running down the crowd every week.

Swerve/Hangman feud is so out of left field, but in a good way. That'll be a nice Wrestledream match, and even better if they're heating up Swerve to challenge to MJF at Full Gear. I think Hanger can eat the fall here and there's some potential with him and Kenny helping each other get back on track. Mox giving OC a nod in a subtle torch-passing moment was a nice touch. I have no idea what Toni Storm is doing, but I love it. I also have to say that I'm impressed with them writing two separate mini-feuds with MJF to actually create some intrigue about the tourney.

Man. I hope we get Swerve vs. MJF sooner than later. Swerve is an absolute superstar. Great promo. I love him first claiming he had been trapped in a coffin for a few weeks before healing in a charity for Chicago schools. A+ commitment to wrestling nonsense, no notes, just give him the title.

I've decided. Yes, AEW rules the motherfucking world.

They should fire CM Punk more often, this was a solid episode. When you build up an ecosystem of developed characters, storylines can weave in and out of each other. They also did a sneaky good job of saving time by cutting entrances. Oh and Emi is the best and if she isn't on Wembley Two I'm coming after Trevor Lawrence with a Gillette Baldy. Props to the crowd being very loud and very Midwestern. Y'know, drunk.

Clearly died on the way back to his home planet.

His matches have multiple false finishing runs and he gets lots of 2.9s on pinfall attempts leading up to finally putting his opponent down.

Did Collinsworth just accurately name the Detroit wrestling territory or am I hearing things?

I've been thinking this a lot since Hangman lost the belt. Also him, Omega and the Bucks almost never cut promos and literally almost never cut live promos. For being the guys the company was originally built around and for being part of so many long term, complicated storylines, we almost never get any insight into their psyches or motivations, especially since their return from the Brawl Out suspension. I find Elite feuds are largely told via their heel opponents' promos. None of them are great talkers anyway (although Hangman on his best days clearly strikes a chord with the core fanbase), but it would be nice to see them interact with their opponents more leading up to matches beyond just staredowns and pull-aparts Also re: Swerve eating losses and his mystique surviving; he's mastered a really good disappointed "you little fucker did you just pin me" face that I think is pretty effective as his WM6 Hogan face where it sells the loss as really being more about how intense and tenacious Swerve is.

I did, and it is.

Ace Steel has been released.

I’m enjoying this, too. Whatever TK is paying Christian, he’s worth it.

People will probably assume im saying this based purely on hindsight with both men having now passed, but I'd say this if they were alive and well: that Wyatt/Orton WM match really should have been a triple threat with Luke Harper/Brodie Lee. During his brief comeback in that period before leaving for AEW, I really felt like he was starting to get some of those grassroots, Danielson 'Yes'-type reactions.

He was probably too busy cry over having to select pronouns in Starfield

Babyface MJF is the greatest thing and I will fight anyone who feels otherwise

Kinda hoping Joe gets the title, puts MJF on the shelf, Adam Cole beats Joe, and then we get to see if Adam will defend against his returning friend. If you would've told me even just three months ago, that I'd be excited about a very long term Adam Cole/MJF storyline, I would've died laughing. But I love this story. Liked the Swerve promo, but it's been so long since I've been interested in Adam Page's act, it almost felt sad. I'm hoping they've got something fun for both guys to do. Page is talented and I want to root for him, but he needs a good story to stay hot.

Swerve can lose every feud and no one will remember or care because he is so charismatic. He is such a good evil mastermind heel. All he has ever needed were good flunkies to have behind him. Hit Row were decent. But he got saddled with dreck with his Moguls. Now he finally has something with Nana as his manager (and his dope dancing) and Brian Cage as his muscle and whoever else they have with him. He looks like the coolest dude in the room in every room, and he knows it, and he will kick you in the face to remind you. I hope he wins the title this winter and we have a Happy Black History Month — one of my favorite smug heel getaway lines from when he and the dopes he was with at the time messed up Golddust in some abandoned lot. I also don’t mind Swerve getting beat now if he is the one who upends MJF. This way you have dudes like Darby and Keith Lee and maybe even Dustin (!!!) in line to take him on, along with the aces already lined up. It is a race between Swerve and Ricky Starks to be the lead heel in the company next year. Ricky is in the lead right now since he has had feuds and matches with the top top top and held his own (even though I did not see the strap match) and also might be MJF’s best dance partner in terms of a heated feud since MJF got the title. Yes, I know he defended against Danielson, but I thought the quick few weeks with Ricky Starks was way hotter.

So, idk if this technically belongs here in the business thread, but AEW seems to be taking drastic measures to save their toy line. Sounds like they’ve instituted a product buyback to get those lingering Bucks, Nyla Roses and Jake Hagers off the pegs in favor of some new product. They’re also gonna be betting on some ringside exclusive offerings to help fund production in the short term. I think AEW made several mistakes early on: they overestimated demand based on a great initial launch, there were too many repeats early in the line, and distribution has been spotty at best. Their plan appears to be working, as I was able to cop Private Party, Ruby, Jamie Hayter & Owen Hart at retail this week.

Great show. Almost the right amount of adam Cole. Swerve/Page is a great matchup but neither of those guys can eat a loss right now. Samoa Joe is my shit, as is MJF: benevolent douchenozzle. Just tremendous.

It was short and sweet but I dug everything about Sakura vs Stat. Emi never fails to elevate any match that she's in.

So, I run an online film festival (Octopus Marquee Independent Film Festival) and one of the filmmakers (Tim Disbrow) that was a part of the previous season did a wrestling documentary in the past, Card Subject to Change. Terry Funk was a part of that and I hear really friendly and supportive of it. Tim was kind enough to post an interview from that doc:

Edge-ing Settle down, Naturaletico.

This is one of those cultural differences where 'safely' means something different in the UK, right?

This is the only aspect of this entire nightmare I'm unambiguously thrilled about.

Got my ticket for full gear. I’m anticipating/hoping for an exciting loaded up card with a great build.

Given Tony and his dad were in an actual business before Wrestling, I'm gonna guess we won't be hearing anything from Punk for a good long while, as I can't imagine that as part of his Termination was getting wasn't NDA'd out the ass for him to get any money off the rest of his contract. I've tinfoil hatted my self into believing that AEW talent being NDA'd is the reason former talent complaints go real quiet after an initial strike, but I have nothing to back that up other than assumption on how actual companies operate.

Is this the first time in his career Roderick Strong has had an actual character?

Probably because Statlander doesn't have a lazy eye

Great start with Orange in to Moxley's first defense. Loved the bit of Orange staring back at Moxley in the ring, then walking up the ramp and facing off with AR Fox, who had turned on him previously. Fox was on fire there before Moxley put him away. EMI looked incredible, put the title on her. Definitely made the most of her 5 minutes. Would've popped huge if it happened, loved the tiger driver straight away, the cross body into the steps, and the delayed underhook backbreaker all looked excellent. Saraya's been trolling Emi over Queen on Twitter, would like to see them in a future match too. Interesting 4 way next week could go multiple ways for Saraya's first challenge at Grand Slam. Crazy to think back that was one year ago when Saraya debuted at Grand Slam, one of my absolute favorite crowd pops. MJF/Joe segment was on fire, amazing work from both in setting up a future showdown. Loving Joe in the main event mix. Glad there's multiple possibilities in the tournament with MJF/Joe and MJF/Strong both matches that need to happen at some point. Great return to the ring for Strong, the apron backbreaker was killer. Another awesome promo from Swerve/Hangman. Excellent stuff set up for the future on this episode. Fun main event with Darby and Nick.

WWE needs to retain the rights to the name for when they bring in Pillman Jr. and Garrison as The Fake Edge & Christian.