HarryArchieGus

I’ll take a tournament every week over another battle royal. A round robin tag tournament the way of the continental breakfast classic with the winning team claiming the belts would be truly wonderful.

I think Dax was having some maturity issues. I suspect they continue, but I also suspect he’s doing his best with what he has. His show was the tale of two different podcasts. One, featuring an overly sensitive man running his mouth where he should have known not to. The second featuring some of the most insightful commentary/Analysis of pro wrestling I’ve so far heard. Dax has more to offer pro wrestling than just his on screen work. I totally agree on the Regal pod and the annoyances of host Matt Koon.

Would’ve been even better if they’d made some sort of notice of injury on the way out. Can we all band together to WILL TKAEW to start giving a clear reason why the injured, or absent for whatever reason, characters were meant to engage with and care about, are suddenly not on television for weeks and months.

Dax v Mox is a fine, fine addition. As opposed to the rotten previous engagements, here's hoping they put a modicum of effort into the Toni Storm short. There's so many possibilities and not a single one of them has yet to be applied. Very into Adam v Garcia and Flights v Bucks. Here's hoping Willow gets a strong, decisive win and the lights stay on. I'm not sure Matt Taven v Orange really needed a TEXAS DEATH stip, but there's no reason to doubt Orange. This will surely mobilize every Taven hating poster to make their feelings known. Joe, Swerve, Hanger, gimme some words to remember please!

Let's get this strraight - Daniel Garcia, in-ring technician, strong promo, rising star, full of potential, but let's make him a loveable jobber? Akin to the Dark Order? I think I'd prefer charismatic Menard slowly morphing into Heenan, and Garcia as his championship caliber Bockwinkel.

Great comparison, but there is a significant difference between early aughts ‘land of the giants’ and the average size of aew’s roster. I’d like to add that I fucking hated the little I saw of late career unbeatable Shawn Michaels. Adam Cole’s undeniable connection to the audience makes even the fair criticism a pretty moot point. The Panama Playboy is gonna be working the upper card for the rest of his Elite career. Dax has had some follies. From following his short lived podcast, I don’t doubt him being genuine. He’s a passionate and ultra sensitive guy who works himself into certain beliefs. I agree he goes for the heart strings a bit too often, but maybe there’s another word than the trendy and overused ‘cringeworthy’. Sometimes ‘corny’? He may be inconsistent but he’s far from shitty.

Sure, but we were also seeing his first tries on national television. He was essentially a green rookie. All things considered, I think he did admirably well. But that depends on how much you enjoyed his anti-millennial comedy.

Lambert had so much heel potential. He’s also an example of a character who could have benefited from a costume design. The college football coach, similar to JR’s classic look minus (or not) the hat, would’ve sufficed. Without that he was more like modern JR sloppily untucked shirt etc. Yeah, Lambert on commentary would’ve been worth a Rampage try. It’s clearly not an easy job tho. Arn Anderson is one of the greatest mic workers of all time and he was completely out of his Element on commentary. I do think he wouldve eventually gotten great tho. Lambert doing a weekly promo segment where he shit on babyfaces could’ve been or could be a lot of fun too.

Matt Menard is alongside Nigel two of the best they have on the headsets. The Nigel, Caprice, Ricaboni team were indeed great. Nigel also helped keep both on track and away from their bad habits/annoyances. I don’t think Nigel’s doing any less of a job on Collision. But certainly Kelly and Schoavone are arguably a lesser duo to work alongside. For me, Nigel’s love of Christy-an Cage is worth the price of his heel commentary alone.

A forced sounding commentator in WWE!?!

I like Nigel hating Bryan. His seemingly unreasonable hate comes off as jealousy, and I think that's enough logic for the uninitiated. I also like not knowing if there may actually be a blow off. Intrigue! Another great example of the Brain falling on his face. A more subtle era compared to the standard Prime TIme adventures highlight reel. There's still heels and babyfaces, why would heel commentary need to be left in the past? Also, we live in a time full of heel 'hot takes'. A heel commentary is part of the fabric of the times. I'd be curious of any line that Nigel has delivered that sounded forced. His delivery is clearly smooth, and feels like his honest opinion. Obviously to each their own, but hard to argue passed personal prefernces that this guy doesn't have the broadcasting skillset needed and then some.

I don't know Nigel so well, but I believe him thoroughly. I totally cosign the bolded text. As the sparkles read Bobby 'Number 1' Heenan.

Bobby Heenan's Royal Rumble commentary for Ric Flair's 1992 win is spectacular.

I see Nigel hate, and often coupled with Graves (whom I also like), and I wonder if there’s an aversion to heel commentary? To my ears, Nigel McGuiness is spot on with flourishes of hilarity. I also like how he keeps the over-reaching kayfabe fantasy calls of Riccaboni, Schivone, and especially Kevin Kelly in check. Nigel also worked exceptionally well with Caprice Coleman. I guess to each their own, but I’m on Team Nigel. Concerning commentary, did I hear Kevin Kelly respond to Tony’s comment that Lois hasn’t made lunch since the 80s with a chauvinistic remark? I may not have heard that right. Nonetheless, Kelly was particularly annoying during this episode.

Piling on the Love for the remarkable 'First Reformed'. I recently revisited the excellent 'Affliction'. Fucking Nick Nolte! But also Coburn and the always great Sissy Spacek. Very curious of 'Oh Canada'. I'm a high voter on the more recent and underrated (if flawed; that's Schrader's MO) 'Master Gardener'. I need to see Mishima yesterday. Right on, an Octopus joint!

Mox/Claudio v Esfinge/Junior was a nice opener. The CMLL relationship is providing nothing but fun. The FTR-BCC angle was well done. This to me signals a bright AEW future. Garcia v Taylor was good. Sting/Darby video package was fine. The 'Wrestling' highlights were rushed over a bit too quick. Eddie Kingston promo perhaps suggested some smoke was at play. Brian Cage v Outrunners was more bullshit. NO more handicap matches. Please! Truth and Floyd don't need a lot of credibility, but I still loathe seeing them being beaten like this. I did like Cage's clover leaf. Ishii/Roddy promo was good. Good use of the name gimmick. I really want to see Ishii v Roddy. Adam Copeland/Daniel Garcia promo was good. I like that match. I like Adam v Kingston too. Stat/Willow/Stoke promo was okay if a bit clumsy. King v Briscoe was fucking excellent. These guy's are both getting hot. I loved how they worked this story. The table spot felt like one of the better ones in a long, long time. The post match felt like a high end territory angle. What a fucking gusher! Loved this. Could've used some ppl running out to save Mark. Julia In-ring has been trying at times, but her character work is connecting with the audience. No better than in this post match. I would've liked an update after this brutal attack. The Bryan Keith promo was on point. Really happy for this guy. Purrazzo v Kiera was okay. This could've used a promo off the top leading in. Can we ge the SNME Collision opening going again? The Danielson/Kingston entrance interruption gimmick reappears. I wanted a little more of an interaction between Mariah and Deonna. Queen v Toni was good. Both Toni and Deonna are captivating in-ring performers. A new Toni short scares me. Let's hope they've improved on the concept from their previous excruciating misfires. The praise around Ishii v Orange in the thread convinced me to give my initially low voter opinion an encore viewing. On second view I loved this match! Completely worked. Glad I considered my initial lack of focus. Fun show. Stoked for FTR v BCC. I need to take another look at BCC v FTR/Mark Briscoe from the ROHPPV. AEDub buzzing along! Fun show.

The Workhorsemen win over Sayrus/Brillante RB was a fantasic showcase. Drake and Henry are such an excellent team, but their opponents were also tremendous in their role. Let's run back the Workhorseman v FTR on Collision some time soon. Or here. Throw the subscribers and live audience a bone with a real nice bout.

Rampage continues the rip roarin' fun run of recent weeks. Rocky/OC/Trent v Kingdom/Roddy was totally on point. I really liked the flow of this. Felt like an excellent showcase for everybody involved. I'd love a 2 on 2 with Trent/Rocky v Kingdom. Hangman-Swerve-Joe video was on point. Excellent Promotional Consideration! Bucks squash/promo was a terribly fun quarter hour. Bucks nearly topped the Work Horsemen's awesome squash on ROH this week. The promo, this look, the new theme, Cool Curt level of perfection! Sydal v Mistico was another nice showcase. Sydal is on a great enhancement run. Brian Cage/Nana promo was fun. Cage is very capable on the mic. I like guys at this level getting some mic time. And in general the increase of time devoted to promos. The bating average for these is good, and Renee continues to be an understated MVP. Stat/Willow v Ruby/Saraya totally clicked for me. I really like Saraya as a tag wrestler. She's a fun heel. Perfectly carny. She also looked really good in the ring. Maybe the best she's looked? Ruby works better as a babyface, so cool with that fallout. Who is Saraya's next protege? Kamille? Willow was awesome here. She and Stat are good team. Okay, bring on the Women's tag titles.

Wait, this latter day (last good) Who song? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfrUQA2tb6M The Tangerine Dream-esque opening and surprisingly awesome rhythm, always take my focus. Perhaps for this reason I can't hear any kind of similarities. Eminence Front would be a great theme song for a big show like Wembley. The other Hechicero theme sounds like a '90s Industrial' preset.

Nice read. 'Their Satanic Majesty's Request' is a fun comparison. I vote higher than average on both AEW in 2023 and that underrated Stones LP. I guess that is to say I'm totally down with some inebriated experimentation with 'results may vary'.

I took in a screening of the 2009 masterpiece 'Black Dynamite' last night. At the Carlton. Neighboring Cinema to the historic Maple Leaf Gardens. Black Dynamite level show. Fuckin' awesome! Swerve v Hanger was so fun. Two of the very best. I'm so ready for heel Adam Page! I really wish we could at least get elimination rules for this 3 way. Please Coach Tony! Samoa Joe promo came correct. BTW boss Joe shirts looking like 'Eraserhead' shirts. Toni v Red was a nice TV match. Great job from Velvet. This felt like Toni really finding her legs IN RING with this character. Really hoping she and Deonna tear it the fuck down at the ppv. OC/Rocky/Trent promo took relaxed to mean meaningless and produced a bit of a comedic misfire. I loved BCC v CMLL. Fun mid-card feud going on. Very interested to see BCC at Arena Mexico. Assuming this is a feud with legs, I suspect the matches will get even better as they go along. Hoping Hechicero finds a way to stick around following all this. He's a perfect mid-level enhancement guy - if not more. Cole Group/Taylor bit left a little to be desired. 'Big Announcement from Tony' really gets ppl hoping and wishing. I honestly never expect more than 'big show in Boston', and I'm never disappointed. Jericho v Takeshita was fine. I thought Takeshita worked around Lionheart fairly well, and looked pretty strong coming out of this. Sammy's chairshot to Hobbs looked pretty gnarly. I echo the following sentiment concerning Jericho... Bill/Starks v Sting/Darby was so fun. That goddamn Bossman Slam! The 64 year old man diving. Bill's bounce back clothesline on Sting after the splash. Everything, everything! Perfect quarter hour to end a pretty blowaway Dino-mite! I said 'Goddamn, Goddamn!' Blood covered white suit Bucks with those perfect goatees! EVP Trigger! L-U-V-A-E-W!

Interested to see how this plays out. There's certainly plenty of room for this company to improve. The presentation/style under Dee'Amore, over the passed few years, has been incredibly stale and badly in need of a refresh. The TNA/Impact financials aren't clear enough to assume they're in the wrong for watching their budget. I'd be curious what some of these ex-Superstars with little to no draw (not all) are making here, and whether it actually benefits the product. Speaking in particular of guys like Rhino, Bully Ray, Heath, Marella, Dango etc. This TNA relaunch has been surprisingly solid, but very much looking forward to a new regime with a new presentation and new set of ideas.

Hannifan and Rehwoldt are Ichiban! Nic Nemeth v Miguel was solid stuff. I'm into the early run of Nemeth. Love to see him showcase his mat skills a little more tho. Perhaps that'll come along in New Japan? Miguel is so much better as a heel. Big fan of what I've seen of Steve Maclin. Nemeth v Maclin is a match I'd like to see. Kon/Deaner promo - uh, who fucking cares? Skimmed passed Decay squash. The whole gimmick is incredibly stale. I dug the Killer Kelly/Slamovich promo and I think I dig this team. More for Masha. I don't know much about Kelly, but curious to see more. Jody Threat's got a minion? Awesome! Alan Angels/Josh Alexander promo bit was solid. I like heel Angels. Curious to see he v Alexander. Brian Myers v Kevin Knight was solid. Myers is so underrated. I sense nobody will ever see him as anything but a WWE job guy. Thankfully, I never saw his 'Curt Hawkins'. That shiny pleather outfit is fucking awful, but his in ring is so good. I wish he went more ECW with his look. Ripped jeans and such. Or just flat out stole the classic (pre-polka) Dreamer look. Or embraced his inner 'Dirty White Boy'. Knight clearly has some SICK tools. Sabin promo was alright. I like the Ali interruption. And very much dig Hotch and especially Skyler. I find babyface Sabin pretty cheesy on the mic, but liked him here, and especially his calling out Skyler. Frankie Kazarian promo was good. I like the aviators. I've never really seen Kaz as a heel, but I'm on board. Seems like a great refresh of a talented in ring worker. Eric Young meekly watching from the curtain was stupid, but I can't say I didn't get a laugh from it. Young v Kaz is another match I'd be curious to see. Alex Shelley/System promo was alright. Shelley is such a corndog as a babyface. I liked the Ash by Elegance video and especially like this character, but a more flattering softer lighting is needed here. Using a hard light revealing all pores isn't gonna help anybody. Even the elegant Ash. I skimmed Deaner v PCO. Oulette should be working tag matches waiting for the hot tag. His age and beaten up body are over exposed in singles matches like this. AJ Francis/Swann/Rhino promo was alright. I like Francis' mic work and charisma, Swann could really really really use somebody to help him out in these departments. And Francis could use a worker to tag with. Perfect! Take the deal Rich! I'm sure the Grace BTS video was a big deal for this distant number 3 or 4, but I skimmed passed it. Masha v Jody Threat was good while it lasted. Wouldn't have minded 5 minutes more. ABC v GYB was solid stuff as well. Some really nice combo spots. I like both of these teams. James Drake and Alex Reynolds - separated at birth? Good win for the GYB. Very much back this 2/3 match series booking. Two weeks in a row this show has been pretty solid. Definitely strong enough to have me back for week 3.

I'm sure it does go deep in their history, I just know from sitting across from him hearing him argue 'the backstage skits saved WWE' that he was very into that style of TV.

Er, I guess nobody uses the TNA thread anymore... It's always sad to see somebody lose their job, especially after the surprisingly solid relaunch of the brand. That said, a change seemed long overdue. D'Amore consistently put a great team on the field, which he should be applauded for. On the otherhand, his skillset as a booker and especially producer of the weekly show left a lot to be desired. He was also insufferable as a character. There were some shows where every story revolved around his 'Authority Figure' decision making. He's not exactly a great talker to be on every goddamn segment of a show. Having had the opportunity to discuss all things Wrestling in a lengthy conversation with Scott, I know first hand that he's the reason, or at least a champion of, Impact/TNA being so insistent on Magic Camera Dramas and all the other WWE-lite bullshit that has long marred the product. I can also say from that conversation that Scott seemed like a good guy, and very loyal to his team. Unlikely he won't be employed by some company at some point soon.