For Great Justice

Cutler is fine to me as the "DM" / host of BTE and undercard guy on Dark. He's an easy foil for heels picking on him and is relatable enough to me that I don't actively want to see him off my TV when he's on it or anything. Compare this with say, Shawn Spears, who just needs to go away. Cutler is basically Yeah Yeah from the Sandlot, and that's okay. Also Cutler/Avalon was a top tier Dark match this year and I marked out for the 10 sided dice thumbtack spot.

Shared it in the photo thread, but Billie Kay had a shoot resume on the paper that is funny as shit. Her on commentary is a perfect thing I didn’t realize I wanted until right now.

This is tremendous

Theoretically, if AEW alllowed Mox, Omega and/or Jericho to work the NJPW 1/4-1/5 shows, what one import would you want back in return for Revolution? I don't have a clear cut answer yet, but I do know neither Hangman nor Okada are doing much right now and that would kick ass. Not the biggest box office option, but a match I'd love to see.

Anna Jay has a lot of the tools you can't teach. She's athletic, beautiful and has a strong physical charisma about her (even if she isn't a good talker yet). She's still at probably, what, less than 20 professional matches? My only worry long term is getting her those reps, as she needs to be in the ring a couple of times a week somehow. And I think by her 100th match she'll be really good (while already being completely respectable). She's got as much or more upside than all but maybe 8-10 names we're going to talk about in this thread. Austin Gunn- Just a Guy. Minimal opportunities but hasn't shown much. Not even Curt Axel upside yet. Maybe there's some babyface fire in there? Bowens - Has looked great on Dark. Early days but there's something there. Awesome King - I presume retired.

The otherwise supremely talented blue chip prospect Ricky Starks does this. It makes me want to reach through the television screen, pull him aside and tell him that this is not the way. I’m not even sure who the worst offender in WWE is here, they are all so bad. For me, the robotic entrance does the opposite of the intended effect and takes me OUT OF the presentation, rather than adding to it.

All of this. It's about the execution, not the idea. Don't shoot for Mulholland Dr and give me Southland Tales.

This is a great thread idea that I’ll definitely actively partake in! Part of the really interesting thing about doing an AEW roster review is how they rotate through the talent, where you might see a given name on this list either wrestling or on the show in general once a month. It’s an approach that takes some getting used to after the overexposure you see multiple times per week in other promotions, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing necessarily. It will make this a tricky exercise for some names, though. Abadon - good example of the above. Every roster needs an Abadon and she’s good in the role, successfully coming across as terrifying and not hokey. What’s her ceiling though? We really don’t know because of the lack of exposure or development for the character. Clearly there’s a ton of potential here. But jury largely still out (which is totally okay as in baseball terms she still has prospect status). 5 - Just A Guy. Reynolds - I’m a fan, but I don’t know how much of this is Reynolds himself or due to tagging with Silver. Silver, to me, is the best hot tag in America right now and might have the best “go go go” offensive flurry sequences on TV. So any partner of his will likely be seen as really good in my eyes. Could they upgrade from Reynolds in that spot? Yeah I think they could, but he’s fine. Allie - I like the look and attention to detail in the BBB act (more on then later I’m sure) and she’s fine there, but in an inoffensive valet way. Like a lot of things Brandi has been a part of, the Nightmare Family stuff was terrible and I’m glad we’re past that.

Lots of time to discuss next week but I really hope the play isn’t the rumored/discussed KENTA interference leading to an Omega win. There just isn’t enough juice in KENTA as a guy on Mox’s level on this or any other continent for that to be how Mox’s reign ends. IMO the only way you run the attacker interference title change angle is if you signed Brock or Batista or some shit. KENTA ain’t it.

Somewhere in the multiverse that main event match/angle happened in 1987 and when the Winter is Coming Tour hits Baton Rouge on Friday night, Death Triangle and Archer take on Kingston, Butcher, Blade and Friend of Eddie Kingston The One Man Gang inside Blood and Guts. Tickets available at the box office or your nearest Kaybee Toys

Shit yeah, the true workhorses of AEW, our boys Blade and Bunkhouse Butch win a Dynamite main event! Moving up the rankings, daddy! Babyface Archer with the save! Continuity! This whole thing was just fantastic as hell. Elsewhere, man they packed a ton into this show. So much to digest. Not sure how I feel about the Taz/Cody angle. Like that was a very well executed segment of a type of angle that I don’t want AEW to run ever. What is TK gonna wrestle Taz now? Stop it. No shooty stuff, no execs on camera, no mentions of execs on camera. Just no. Hobbs with the Worlds Strongest Slam finish was note perfect. So good.

It’s already in the AEW thread but the new Renee pod is out and Mox is a God damned national treasure

We are so close to getting that hobo army

Since AEW is on TNT, could they use the Turner stock music library? Like could someone come out to the Hollywood Blondes, Dungeon of Doom or NWO themes? I’d mark right the fuck out if Brodie came out to that DoD track. “SILVEEERRRR, my son”

Surprised Taker agreed to go out with his boots off. Paul Bearer hologram was legit though

The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special was gratuitous fan service but also really cute. My four year old loved it and demanded an immediate replay. Solid use of 40 minutes.

How can WWE do so much, so wrong, yet absolutely crush it with Roman like they are. That was an incredible segment.

Right, totally. I mean Moxley cutting a promo basically saying “I don’t have a lot of friends, but Darby and Will Hobbs are my friends” is a MASSIVE way to put a dude over. Compare this with being the second big man in a three person stable where Starks is going to do all of the talking. Like, I love The Barbarian, but being John Moxley’s Tugboat is a way more upwardly mobile spot than being The Barbarian

For as much as I’m here for Team Taz, I gotta wonder if they left some money on the table with babyface Hobbs. He really seems to have that physical charisma and size to look good walking tall on heels, and what babyface big guys are left? Dustin, Luchasaurus vs Cage, Archer, Lee, Butcher, Wardlow, Hager now Hobbs I dunno. A Cage and Hobbs team potentially RULES, but there was some breakout good guy equity on the table I think

On Kenny, the customized-weekly, obnoxious "read em off, Justin!" intro bit is so good that I can't believe no one's ever done that before (that I can think of). He can't really back up the character on the stick, but then again a lot of legit elite-level athletes with similar presentations and cocky physical charisma aren't good talkers. Mayweather is an example.

Are Butcher/Blade/Bunny the least jobbery looking JTTS's in modern history? Their presentation and look screams top talent, yet they never win. Like I can't think of a Virgil/Sal Sincere/Jerry Flynn/Roadblock type that was actually packaged/presented to this degree of quality. Glacier was a way bigger threat. #FreeBBB

Elsewhere I am all in on Fire and Ice 2020 and the return of Death Triangle. Those were two well done progressions. Mox’s promo was great. Not sure how I feel about the backstage attack as I figured they were going Pure Sports Build here leading to an Omega win in his environment. So a diversion from the course I expected but I’m curious where it goes.

Cody doing a shoulder block stalemate spot with Brian fucking Cage might be a new Peak Cody

So, Dark. I know Hirsch to Team Taz is the most overly fantasy booked thing on the board at this point. But this needs to happen right now. Have him hype her, run some sit down vignettes where she’s like Bull Hurley calmly talking about breaking arms and shit, and then let her loose on Dynamite. I need Hirsch/Deeb in particular ASAP.

So I was catching up on Impact some and...is it crazy to say that for the first time in the what feels like 300 years of this company, in 2020 Impact knows exactly what it is (and, importantly, isn’t)? I feel like they’ve really excelled during the pandemic. They don’t pretend to be a workrate company, or a big epic presentation company, or whatever. They know exactly what they are, which is a fun, throwback-feeling, Lucha Underground-like take on wrestling that isn’t meant to be taken terribly seriously, but is meant to entertain. It’s really cool to see. I got nothing but love for Impact these days.