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A_K

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Everything posted by A_K

  1. A_K
    The one underwhelming scene here was the Barry Keoghan off-screen part, but if you’ve seen Green Knight he is an extremely exciting casting choice for that role.
  2. A_K
    Don't be a joker. Are you seriously going to compare contemporary WWE viewership & general eminence w/ WWF/WCW from '96 onwards when the cruiserweight/light heavyweight divisions would be the preserve of Eddie/Malenko/Rey/Hardy/X Pac etc. Like-for-like financialfigures are not relevant with inflation at play, nor with the fact that until the past 18 months WWE has ran unopposed. The top-20 most watched episodes of the product on national television were all aired at the time when the Cruiserweight/Light Heavyweight titles were in play; that is how the product was formulated at the point in time when it had most eminence. Good luck trying to find a heavyweight champion from prior to that period who was not a heavyweight in body type (even Brett / Shawn / Flair were good 6" fters). Contemporary WWE viewership is in the absolute doldrums, and even strongholds like MSG have seen a strong downtrend in attendance and demand in tickets. The product is not popular. As I noted, you do not need the 17 or 9 weight class divisions to relay the idea; even the 2 divisions (Cruiser / Heavy) can be effective as it undeniably was previously.
  3. A_K
    Having an inter-gender singles division denoted by weight certainly does nothing for any notion that adding weight classes increases 'realism' of the product. That is the more fantasy oriented element, and there is no need to muddy that with something like weight classes. It would simply be confusing.
  4. A_K
    They had more discernibly defined weight classes during the most successful commercial period in the history of the industry. It really doesn't take much of a leap of faith, nor does it mean dividing weight classes down to the nth degree of the 17 weight classes in boxing, or even the 9 weight classes in UFC.
  5. A_K
    This is a superb film: while there are unavoidable elements in the genre (i.e. costuming - which is also mitigated here to a large extent with a streamlined combat suit for Pattinson, Riddler's Zodiac-killer get up, Kravitz' body suit and subtle semi-balaclava etc.), they almost unequivocally manage to avoid carny-ness. If you want a campy carny blockbuster fest, this isn't going to be the 'superhero' film for you. Instead you get the World's Greatest Detective in his element, and you have to work as an audience to keep up and decipher the mystery with him. It is a great character film.
  6. A_K
    Jericho does look a lot, lot better: his physique was an absolute disgrace for a paid-performer as those photos on the previous page showed. In line with AEW generally making great strides in upping professionalism over the past 6 months. He probably saw Cody get bounced from the company as well as the other top talent coming in and got a bit of a wake up call. Jericho is nothing if not a talent who understands how to advocate for the betterment of his own career, and when to twist/when to stick. Playing into the smugness with those pursed lips & more restrained speech is the right move.
  7. A_K
    Affleck must be one of the most generic, formless "leading men" of his Hollywood generation. His manner, style and appearance summons absolutely zero intrigue. Yes, a man befitting of a generic action flick. I wholly expect Reeves' Batman noir to run rings around those vapid, inelegant heaps.
  8. A_K
    The cast is superb. Cosmopolis / The King / Tenet reinvented Pattinson: what a ballsy casting choice still. Excited to see what they do here.
  9. A_K
    Hogan was also booked that way in WWF for maybe .. 10 years tops? Brock is going on 20 years now with this presentation. Its certainly .. something.
  10. A_K
    The only sense it makes is in relation to an overall utterly tone deaf creative malaise, and the eminently foreseeable conclusion of him being bounced from the company who neglected to pick up his contractual option, which is the only reality we live in. I also appreciate this is some sort of bizarre internet persona shtick you have for feigning adoration for the guy, so more fool me for engaging with it, but when in Rome.
  11. A_K
    Omega interview is pretty interesting and subtly explicit. Omega/Bucks vision for future differed from Cody's: "I understand there might be some heartbreak if you were promised carte blanche and it doesn't come to fruition". What, the sort of self-aggrandizement that saw precious minutes on a national Network dedicated to a baby gender reveal (that was so bizarre) may not be seen as creatively sustainable? Who knew. While he's been involved in somewhat-carny shit variously, Omega personally seems like one of the most grounded, least-carny guys out there.
  12. A_K
    It remains so weird for me that they never ran Cody/Brandi in a modern take on that 99/00 HHH/Stephanie role. Maybe top of card was congested but that was the money angle. Sardonically work the EVP element a little (active wrestling talent who are also EVPs? I mean its so delightfully carny you really have to bring it into the product and be playful with it). For Foley's "I think we're in agreement do any of us really need to see The Mean Street Posse in a single evening?" refer to .. any of the extended Rhodes Faction holding court. Stephanie/Brandi so interchangeable with the "well this is my family's company so I need to explain a few things" schtick. They created so much heat without even intending to - it was criminal not to play into it more. Alas, that would have been good TV.
  13. A_K
    No it isn't. "Saddled" with DiBiase? DiBiase was a high profile act who left soon after Austin joined to become the 4th member of the NWO after Hall/Nash/Hogan. So, clearly, he was held in esteem, having also had exposure as manager in the WM main event the year prior and gifted Austin the Million $ Belt on his debut. In that first year despite DiBiase leaving and therefore causing issues with that initial push strategy, Austin was due to be final 4 at the Rumble, and would have evolved into the Stone Cold moniker before the 12 months were out. So, no - while WWF clearly didn't foresee Austin lift off via Stone Cold, he was hardly brought in to be a bum. The point remains. The truly great WWF reinventions of WCW transfers/other promotion journeymen (Foley/Levesque/Jericho/Austin/Calaway etc.) was to take under-exposed, often quite youthful talent and find a platform to help them flourish. A 36 year old been-around-the-block-had-a-reality-TV-show guy who has had plenty of opportunities to state top-of-the-card credentials is antithesis to this. Rhodes will be a flop over there: you can save this post and quote it end of year.
  14. A_K
    Put Van Zant in there with Red Velvet to start. Give her some submission move sets. Slow build her vs Jade towards end of year. Let Brit own the other belt and have parallel program. That’s the money angle.
  15. A_K
    To each their own. His verbosity & lack of creative direction was as compelling for me in its own a way as shock-factor backyard wrestling or Nick Gage style work would be in a different fashion (not very). But it is a shame if some genuinely did enjoy his weekly contributions.
  16. A_K
    The irony here is that I was most vocal that Khan was getting a ton wrong through late 20 / early 21. But I think he has been a ton stronger overall of late, and the ratings and talent receiving emphasis show that too more or less.
  17. A_K
    I think this is off base. The incredible skill of Vince & co in the 90s was identifying under-developed talent in other promotions who had not been given the platform to shine (the held-down cruisers like Jericho; Austin). Rhodes has actually been given an incredible & sustained platform at AEW and he has .. failed. The Ogogo angle was a failure. The QT angle was a failure. The Black angle was a failure whereby as face fans couldn’t stand the sight of him. The last time he was really over in any effective capacity was the MJF angle which was years ago now. For me this is kind of opposite to the skill of Vince in the 90s - this would be akin to taking the Total Package version of Luger who was still somewhat relevant in late 90s/early 00s WCW and treating him as a big deal in WWF. Instead WWF didn’t go near that kind of talent when WCW failed.
  18. A_K
    AEW stared from scratch. Zero. The best, most lucrative talent was locked up with the opposition. From that point they’ve stolen various main event talent the opposition clearly didn’t want to lose (Cole; Danielson; Punk), grown superstar talent of their own (Darby; MJF) and cleverly utilised talent that the dysfunctional competition (and WWE is by all measures a deeply dysfunctional commercial company now) looked over. Having leveraged those 3 categories, Rhodes on his best night with all talent available for a single show is absolutely no where near the top of that card. His act was completely sunk - he was finished in that company. One can imagine just how deeply his nose was out of joint watching the likes of Punk MJF and Danielson tear the house down week after week while his childish pretentious creative was an albatross around the shows neck by return.
  19. A_K
    As an aside, this is a weak look for WWE. They lose Danielson & Punk & Cole .. and their statement is to take a mid-carder from AEW (because that’s what Cody has been for going on a year). If they elevate Cody to main event title status they simply elevate AEW by association. It would actually be the biggest mark of AEW superiority to date.
  20. A_K
    The spark for AEW was a PE dude with a strong interest in PW cleverly realising that the monopolistic force in the industry is at its lowest ebb in 40 years and seizing the opportunity to create a stronger alternative product. The rest is just fluff. The promotion lives and dies by the strength of its product comparative with the competition around it. That’s it. Period. If the spark for AEW was the original roster set then that spark was stagnating pretty hard before they revitalised it with more talented new blood. At the end of the days the wider public just want a good show to watch - and WWE haven’t given that arguably in decades now, so that is the niche AEW should set out to fill, however and whoever they get there with.
  21. A_K
    Cody loss being a “perception hit” .. this is the same guy who was show-central when they were c. 750k viewers a week, loafing around with a bunch of bums in the cringe-inducingly named “Nightmare Family”. Who was boo-ed out of the building because his corpulent, lame creative stunk the joint out week to week & brought people like Black down with it. Whose act sucked so much some people tried to trick themselves into believing it was some avant garde meta creation .. when in fact it was a pretty simple minded dude who can’t script logical creative stories and got a neck tattoo and bleached his hair at age 35 being .. the kind of simple minded dude lacking self awareness who gets a neck tattoo and bleaches his hair at age 35? This dude is going to be a loss when in the past 9 months they’ve added Danielson, Punk, Lee, Black etc. and grown the ratings as his influence has eroded? Yeah .. hard pass on that one.
  22. A_K
    Rhodes has been poisonous for that promotion & TV show for going on 2 years now -- some were just a little slow to catch on. If they can transition him out without any great drama then that is a huge boon for AEW. Jericho is the other problem child they will need to navigate at some point fairly soon.
  23. A_K
    With the narrowing of the roster, they should just go back to classic Smackdown/Raw style of one roster for both shows. They don't have the star-power to float two rosters right now.
  24. A_K
    House of Black should stop at current pair plus Julia. Dilution of an over act with undercard talent is poisonous.
  25. A_K
    Unpredictable big match feel outside of PPV. Both guys worked a hell of a program leading into that one. Bonafide superstars in an industry largely void of them.
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