HarryArchieGus

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see how this decision effects Cody's babyface heat. I suspect the broader appealling WWE universe that has thus far cheered the American Nightmare's act and wordy scripts may turn sooner than later. Maybe not. We'll see. This was indeed the most interested I've been in a WWE match in nearly two decades (RVD-CENA from ECW ONS being the last I can remember). I dug what I saw until the ref bumps and illogical WWE style overbooking began. I don't give a shit about anything other than Zayn in this bloodline angle, so I skimmed passed the Jey stuff to Sami's misfire on Jey. Yeah, that was a dumb and deflating (tho totally expected) finish, but easily explainable by WWE's standards of operations. And by the viewers that fully accept them. I'm of passive interest, skimming at least 70% of the weekly TVs for bright spots in this generally mundane 'hot' product. It's necessary to never forget you're watching WWE when you're watching WWE.

Re: Smack-down-town-daddy! I started this show just short of 32 minutes after skimming things I largely wasn't interested in. I do like the Shayna-Rhonda Rousey duo, but I just wasn't interested in a match with Shotzi and Nattie. Am I overlooking Nattie? She hasn't shown herself to be inefficient or anything, but she's clearly an enhancement talent, and character wise very unfresh. I wonder what a potential jump to AEW might do for her as far as freshening her up. Getting her into some potentially memorable matches with the likes of Toni and Hayter. I also stopped to see the Windham Brothers for a sec. This is how I was hoping they would potentially come into AEW. I'm glad they didn't, but clearly there's a deep connection that Bray makes with this audience. No matter how shitty his segments have been, the crowd wants to dig him. This was not such a shitty segment. I was further impressed by the B Fab mic work that I stopped for. B Fab's got something. They need to get her with a top act. Following the skim, I started in as the bell rings for Drew, Sheamus and the Viking Raiders. Such a hard hitting and excellent bout. An in ring highlight of the week. I'd love for Eric and Ibar move passed this Viking bullshit into something less cosplay. Whatever the case they let these guys go, and they're clearly sooo talented. I think Killer Kross is doing a solid job with the material. He and Scarlett haven't connected well enough with the audience, but I like that they're sticking by him enough with the hope of developing something. I love Asuka, but I just didn't really have this one in me. Looked like a lot of INTENSE horseshit on the skim. Really dug both the Madcap Moss and Gunther promos. I like Madcap and Tenille Dashwood. Gunther is just unbelievable. I loved hearing the strong babyface 'pure respect' heat for Gunther in MTL. He's easily top 3 for me right now with Danielson, Kenny and Gable. Honorable mention to Roosh. And FTR as soon as they come back. And Mark Briscoe is right there too. I feel so much goddamn emotion for that guy. A very much different circumstance with Sami Zayn, but similar feelings this evening. Something about the celebration of life I'd have to suppose? Zayn is clearly the hottest act in wrestling. With easily the most incredible chops in the business. It is impossible for me not to love this character. I've skimmed a lot of Bloodline material just for Zayn. This match this evening is the most I've been interested in a WWE match in a very long time. It was really wonderful sharing in seeing him get his goddamn flowers in the world class city of Montreal! Just so fantastic!

Absolutely! That's how you take ROH to the next step at a similar size audience. I wish Titan Sports didn't own the name 'Worldwide'. It'd be a nice mash of multiple generations, and perfectly fitting a new Ring of Honor product.

The lack of DQ finishes makes an actual DQ finish kinda sorta exciting. Especially knowing there's another Swerve v Dustin bout to come. Keith Lee's hair, uh, hmmm, ahhh? Are we trying to age him? I was very much looking forward to Top Fox v the Elite, but the goofy Basketball shenanigans wasn't quite what I had in mind. Still some fun stuff in there, but a slight disappointment. I was also hoping for a little more from Starks v Garcia, but certainly it was fine. Oh man, I hate to say it, but right now the 'she's cold' complaint department on Jade is unfortunately very much correct. Wheeler-Orange promo was total cheese whiz, but I like seeing Mark Henry sitting down with the stars. Let's make that a weekly thing. There are few things I truly hate on AEW TV, but I find the constant bottom left 'Coming up' graphics extremely distracting and completely unnecessary. It's foolish to assume viewers are going to remember all that stuff, And(!) stay focused on the match. Just cut a goddamn segment and properly preview at the start of the show and the finish. It'd be fine if it were one graphic and shown at an appropriate time, but an appropriate time is not during the match. You're pulling away focus from the bouts with this bullshit dearest AEW production team! Stop trying to shoehorn so much stuff in. Hey hey, ho ho, the ADD promoting has got to go!

I'm completely with you on the platform advantages. In particular, I love the idea of a roster of hungry talented young guns. I'm less excited about Universal as the venue, but we'll see. I don't love the current Dark set-up for putting on catch-as-catch-can-classics, but we'll see. I was really hoping for the shows to happen in similar size settings, but in Philly or New York, but I get the reasoning for the choice. I'm not sure if others feel the same, but I actually have pretty high hopes/expectations for this. Coach Tony clearly has a lot of respect for what ROH has thus far meant, and judging from his 4 year work with AEDub I think he'll do what's needed for this to flourish.

I wanna see where things go with Mark Briscoe. He's maybe more of a long shot at being a top babyface, but he has so much to offer, and he has something like those goodwill Foley vibes with him right now. I’ve been with the Kingston fandom since his debut, but less with the World Championship clamouring. I just didn't see it or think he needed it. Not until more recently. I’m not sure the exact point that things changed for me, maybe seeing him live and how the audience completely connects to him, I’m not sure. I think the story of Kingston dethroning MJF could be very special. And I think it might actually happen. Akiyama says he'll be World Champion, and that's good enough for me. Really tho, AEW has a lot of potential top babyfaces (many already mentioned in the thread eg. Darby, Hangman etc.). The difference between AEW and WWE is much clearer as it relates to Cody’s appeal in either company. Sure he could have used a better editor in AEW, but the real difference is more obvious - simply put the massive WWE brand/branding machine. Moxley, Danielson etc. jumping back to WWE and given the Cody push would easily be on par with where Cody’s appeal level is right now. If not higher. And I say that as a Cody fan (tho, he's cornier in Titan with the verbiage than he was in AEDub). On top of the branding, WWE is clearly more of a broadly appealing product - something ppl should really consider more when they compare ratings, market share, etc. Further, I’'m very grateful AEW doesn’t look to what WWE is doing to grow their company. I’m thankful there isn’t a sudden emphasis on long winded promos and hackneyed high drama. Sure, there’s some, but it doesn’t dominate the shows. The Bloodline, in particular, has driven great business for WWE, but to me that shit is a total snooze outside of Sami Zayn’s too-good-for-wrestling-chops. I’m very grateful for AEW sticking to their guns and playing the long game with their clearly stronger in ring product. There’s enough room for improvement in what they already do to start booking like a McMahon family member.

Very curious to see how this ROH roster shapes up. Does the gone but not forgotten lost stars of the past (Miro, Archer, Ogogo etc.) come off the bench? I have a hunch the 'Bloated Roster' theorists might receive an answer to their bellyaches. Obviously there's a lot less prestige and exposure working a streaming service compared to Turner Television, but I kinda assume this is where ROH starts to potentially earn a slot. That Friday Night Rampage slot is looking more and more like a nice place to transition to.

A fun, if a bit sloppy, 8 Man opener. It kinda felt like the crowd died a little from Caster's less than sensitive rap. Not to say it was so bad or in bad taste, but I don't think it helped the heat here. Jeff Jarrett is so great in this role. I suspect the compassion for his loss will lead to more of our posters dropping their past baggage with him and recognizing the beauty of his Mempho game. Roosh!!! He's such a truly believable heel. This tornado was never going to be anything but what it was - terrific! Young Vance needs some reps, but he pulled his weight here. Jose never ceases to impress. If Claudio v Roosh is where we're going then let me aboard. Dug Kip, Butcher and Blade laying a beating on Hanger - nice simple set-up. Wardlow sitdown was fine, but they really oughta drop the completely unnecessary and corny score. So too the unsuitable (tho amusing) musical selection for the Gunns promo. I'm with @Dean on Mark Briscoe's potential as their next big sympathetic babyface. Josh Woods has quietly come a long way, but can somebody get him a 'respectable' pair of tights. The Adam Cole sitdown was fine, but would have been better off having bit more of a point. Nice promo segment with MJF. I especially loved the International feed portion - cussing out of the Laredo crowd. I don't want to say Christopher Daniels has thus far been misused in AEW, as he seems to have had an important position backstage, but... on camera, I really hope they give him a heel turn, a microphone, better gear and a proper Prophecy faction (in the ROH relaunch). Terrific stuff here. Tho, it wouldn't have hurt if they'd had a bit more of a physical exchange before going down to the 'master of the Fujiwara Armbar' - I like Max, I just don't buy that part of his act. And then yet another strong Brian Cage performance for all the unjustified haters. Jungle Jack's still on point. Ugh, tighten up the officiating tho - Nana interference without consequence? Well, I guess it is unfortunately on brand. Goddamn is it every great to see Chris't-yen! I was fully ready to register some butthurt complaints on the Acclaimed not getting a rematch, but then Bowens cut a good little promo, and all was well. Er sorta, not a 4 way fan. This, Now, annual pair of Battle Royals to determine two challengers for the tag belts thing is, umm, fucking dumb, but I can't say I'm not amused. Ohhhh yeah, I'll take a Top Fox-Elite rematch! Can we please all WILL an AR Fox-Kenny singles bout into existence too? For the worst match in AEW televised history Hangman v Kip Sabian was pretty good! I was fully ready to see Kip Sabian move along to the Indies, but he seems to be slowly starting to figure something out recently. I like this trio with Butcher and Blade, but then, everybody seems to work well with those consummate Pros. Daniel Garcia is good on the mic. I look forward to his bout with Starks. Haha, love Hook being suspended pending an investigation. The 3 Way main was fine. Special thanks to Saraya for just blatantly jumping in the ring to remind everybody that 3 ways are completely illogical. Why not just cheat from the beginning? I wish I did, but I don't quite see Any reason to care which side Ruby Soho picks. The Women's Division has been a lot stronger in ring, but this Main Event storyline could certainly use to improve. Ruby gesturing the air title belt seemed to lack confidence, and for good reason. But sure, I'll enjoy watching our heroic champion take her to the mat. All of that to say, as per usual, I had a helluva lot fun watching this show. Some big matches on the horizon!

Clearly, the Khan booking style puts a lot of emphasis on fresh matches/interactions, and to the point of frustration. The lack of title rematches in particular has always felt like a mistake and a hurdle for this 3 years in booker. The Dax Harwood pod this week talking about the first Bucks match and the frustrations with having no follow-up is a great example of this. That said, when laying out the fantasy book, is there enough consideration of the reality of the situation - the injuries, the politics, and all other unforeseen circumstances? You make mention of Miro, who is a great example. We certainly don't know all of the details, but the talk is Miro turned down booking plans because he didn't like them - I think this is pretty well known. He turned them down while his wife takes to podcast interviews stirring up shit with headline leading remarks. Maybe the booking Miro was offered was shitty and he was smart to pass. Or maybe the Meltzer-shared talk of these ex-WWE superstars, with WWEPSTD, refusing to do jobs, etc. is a more accurate account of what's happening. Maybe beloved Miro isn't being a good team player? House of Black is another great example. Matthews and Black were both asking for releases as soon as 'Paul' got in charge and illegally came calling. Are those the kinda guys you really want to put over your company guys/top stars having excellent matches on TV every week? I don't disagree with your Claudio remark, but it's also pretty clear he's long been earmarked for the upcoming ROH show. A show that has taken a long time to get going. Annoyingly long perhaps, but who here has ever tried to negotiate a TV deal while trying to relaunch an entire company? A situation which changes drastically when it's launched on a little known App as opposed to national television. Further, it's fairly safe to assume the increased size of the roster over the past year or so has something to do with this soon-to-be-arriving ROH weekly. I love and see great potential with the Gunns, but I agree they aren't there yet. Oh well, something didn't hit as well as it should have. Not such a big deal. I haven't seen any significant reports of any Mercedes-AEW negotiations, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened, and seems like a stretch to assume it hasn't. I'm not so sure we can rightfully assume it's a simple matter of money with Ms. Mo-nay. I agree that the Khan booking is sometimes frustrating, but it's a lot more difficult for me to overlook the amount of FUN and successes happening every goddamn week. Rush-Danielson just had one of the best TV matches I've ever seen. And it was followed up by a Trios title match that has become the norm as opposed to the jaw dropping talked about match it would have been before AEW started. I watch WWE these days (with a FFWD button close), and it's such a good reminder of all the little things AEW does so well that get overlooked. Simple things like pinfall/submission finishes, respecting tag teams and tag team wrestling, the lack of longwinded promos, the abondment of magic cameras, and all the other awful formulaic McMahon tropes. Complaining is easy, but so is being grateful for what this terrific pro wrestling company is working fabulously hard to offer on a weekly basis.

Impressive how 'tour tight' MJF keeps his game working so little. That said, I've never entirely bought him as a master of breaking down the arm. And a guy who wins matches with a fujiwara armbar. I'm always overcoming this, but I do. Pretty terrific opener with the truly wonderful Konsuke Takeshita. Hayter and the Bunny followed nicely, and was strong while they were well and able. Hayter continues to be such a refreshing champion for this division. I really like this Saraya and Toni duo, but they need to tighten up there shit with these segments. Leva Bates' acting abilities might be better suited for BTE. Unsettling promo from MJF. Not surprised to see the negative reaction. Ha, I just saw that Starks-Cody-Royal Rumble security photo. The photo makes me curious how long Ricky's AEW deal is? Gauntlet felt McMahon booked with Menard and Parker going down fast. I wish that portion had been more clever and fun. Garcia-Starks and the Sammy tease was tremendous. Pretty great crowd throughout. I loved the finish here. Some strong anti-Jericho sentiment in the thread. I'm not with you. This to me is a fun low to midcard feud. It's a good test for the charismatic Starks. Thus far, Rick's been good, but it also suggests he's still a ways from his true potential. I had no doubt a Rush-Danielson match wouldn't be special, but it still exceeded my expectations. Pleasantly surprised by the angle that preceded. I wish the entire audience had seen that nasty promo Roosh cut on the Road To. Tonight might've been Roosh's coming out party. Danielson's blood on the camera was a great added visual. Top Flight/AR Fox v Bucks/Kenny was fucking firing on all 6 cylinders. I very much would like to see Fox go one on one with Kenny. I liked the Main Event. Great Castor rhymes this week. I love the Gunns, but much less so the decision to change the titles. The extended filler time after the bell certainly didn't help matters. All that said, maybe the audience that grows for the Acclaimed have been lured in further? I have no complaints. I love this show, and I love it pretty much every week. Very thankful for this tasty flavour of pro wrestling.

Balliya Akki looked fantastic here. I suspect there’s a spot for this great talent in the new ROH. So too Slim J. The novelty is over, he’s just every bit as good as Phil Schneider’s been claiming for years. Dorado is terrific too, but seriously would anybody be against pushing Slim J? He’s this season’s Eddie Kingston? So to speak. Wait, can he speak? Dug the Takeshita main. This Nduka might be worth developing. To those keeping score, has AEW benefited more from WWE developmental (2020 forward) than WWE? Oh shit, I don’t want to forget to mention how great it is to see how the Outrunners handle business on the winning side. Incredible! These are the kind of guys found in a system that values their enhancement workers! AErub-a-dub-dub!

Thanks for explaining that one. I see a House of Black promo come on, and I just completely tune out. This one i was trying to figure out whether or not that was actually Malakai's voice. Sounded like somebody doing an impression. Also, this is at least the second time they've shown a clip of one of the other members, Brody King in this case, cutting a promo directly into the camera while there's an alternate narration happening over it. It's quick and forgettable, but awkward editing none the less. Two weeks in a row this show sorta kinda overperforms. That opening six man was so fun. Everyone looked fantastic. The Ethan Page, Matt Hardy, Isiah Cassidy trio is proving to be a neat combo. Kenny Omega and the Bucks continue to make everybody they work look their best. Maybe Lexi Nair is getting better under Renee's beautiful learning tree. The Mansury production shot this Starks promo kinda poorly. Close in on pretty Ricky. Why all the space? The promo staging in AEW has always been suspect. Here's an idea, ya don't need a TV screen behind you, and eliminate the clutter. Focus on the faces. Don't have guys/gals looking the side and the interviewer - look into that camera damn you! Swerve-Pillman was a solid piece of enhancement business. I'm not a fan of the pile on that Pillman seems to receive regularly, but he clearly need to improve a ot of his game, his fundamentals in particular. Maybe a performance center setting is the best thing for him? Or a heel tag team with Father/Son Anderson. We'll see. Yeah, Evil Toni and Saraya is a breath of minty fresh air! Dig the Renegades, of course. Yeah, I'm with @Dean, rarely would I advocate for more title belts, especially around a booker who has to shoehorn everyone of them into his PPVs, but the Women's Tag titles could really be used nicely. I'm totally okay with the non-split screen version of the Mark Henry Main Event intro, but please at least give us 'Seems like there's been enough talk' before 'It's time for the Main Event' followed by a little more time with Mark's big warm generous smile. Christopher Daniels looked really good here with the lunatic heel/shooting star ROOSH! The Fallen Angel probably has enough AEW duties, but I think they're missing out not having him in the player/coach role for a heel trio. I suspect the new ROH might invite such a scenario. Super fun show again this week.

This point surrounding the tweet, from the basic understanding I have here, seems like an absolutely fair thing to call out. In a lot of ways I have Pro Wrestling and Vince McMahon to thank for expanding my consciousness on the topic of 'Abuse of Power'.

To be clear, I knew of Roadie's comments, the backstory all the way to the Renee interview, etc. That said, for those curious and unaware/interested, you've nicely outlined much of the situation. I will say, I felt similiarily about not wanting to listen to the Roadie podcast, but decided being invested enough and not hearing both sides would lead to an unfair conclusion. Especially considering, as much as I really dig Dax's podcast, he's clearly a man with a massive ego, loose lips, and tremendous difficulty empathizing with alternate points of view. Clearly there's a deep insecurity within the former 'Scott Dawson'. So listening to Roadie's initial commentary on Dax was a significant addition to this story. Ultimately, yeah Dog was snarky, but I think he has some valid points, and really wasn't anywhere near as nasty as the Matt Koon/Dax response had me believing. My feelings now are, yeah, no surprise, the WWE booking at Raw 25 was awful and ridiculous. And sure they should have had a good handshake following, but I'm sure niceties are missed often and bad politics run rampant, and it's not really a great reason to air your butthurt feelings and then get further butthurt when there's a fair response. Entertainment aside, Dax is being a little petty here. I say that as a huge Dax Harwood fan/supporter and barely ever a Brian James fan. Going by what we know I find it kinda difficult to believe that his tirade on Shawn Michaels wasn't misconstrude as well. Maybe not, but I'm not convinced Dax is a reliable narrator on personal matters as much as he is on breaking down matches and angles. To my original question, does anybody know what or where (which episode, and where on the timeline) specifically Roadie replied to the last Dax commentary that led to this week's?

Where can I find the most recent comments 'Brian' made that led to Dax's response? What did Koon's buddy post or say on Dax?

On the Dynamite recap episode of WOR Meltzer spoke about the upcoming AEW house shows. He mentioned they'd done 'them' in the past speaking of the taped Jacksonville show and 'other(s)' he couldn't name. Suggesting the shows were not profitable. Were there more house shows than pandemic era 'House Always Wins' in Jacksonville?

How many weeks in a row have you loved this show? I’ve lost count. Tho, my number is pretty huge. I did kinda hate a couple Rampages if that counts for anything. That one where Jade was gonna hold the show hostage, but instead relented a short time after. Jacksonville has seen the best of times and worst of times! So many huge matches every week. And huge matches with clean (enough) finishes! It can never be understated ‘the booking genius of Tony Khan’ to stick to matches ending in pinfall or submissions. Hangman-Moxley III!!! I was thinking a draw, but was pleased as punch with the commitment to clean finishes and the Mox win. And it worked, we all want more. ‘Backscratch of Doom!’ - one of the worst moves in wrestling by one of its greatest practioners. I’m falling head over heels for this Saraya-Toni tandem. Good on the Good Doctor to still act like an asshole to Ruby. Luv the ‘tude! Acclaimed rap n’ wrestle! Turbo and Truth are this season’s Menard and Parker, and I think we’re all on Board! Jungle Jack says no more team with Hook, which I tend to think means ‘more tag teaming with Hook’. I had a good feeling going in, and all the way to the finish with Takeshita-Cage. Cage hate is passe. Elite shooting some hoops. Nick Jackson for 3! I like the around town style promo. Remember that one by the river with Starks and Hobbs (in the fur coat)? More of this MANSURY! Real nice j-o-b by Timothy Thatcher. God bless Bryan Danielson and his incredible skillset! He’s providing matches each week for all his colleagues to study to help make pro wrestling that much better. Really dug Renee delivering the booking scoop following the MJF-Takeshita brawl. I was hoping to hear the crowd chant ‘Renee! Renee!’ Excalibur gets the wrong info as we slide to Lexi, not Renee, with Roosh, not MJF. Then MJF walks in, not disheveled like he was just fighting with a brilliant young DDT star, but like a (taped earlier in the day) Smooth Operator – small point taken away here for unsatisfactory (tho easily missed) continuity - directly to new guy, Mike. I skimmed Jade-Velvet. Loved some of the highlights. I’m with @JLowe, Red Velvet’s visual pin was not earned. The booking around Jade clearly needs some serious improvement. UGH, I am so terribly disappointed by this Red Velvet face turn. Please read the audience and let her naturally embrace the darkside. Please. Moving on, it’s the King of Television! The resurgence of Samoa Joe is an understated but great AEW story. Darby Allin is unbelievable. I did not see this title change coming. A lot of speculation surrounding an overbookedcooked finish, but instead they Do It Clean and the satisfaction is much appreciated. Good solid decision to give Darby the title and remind everybody how fucking awesome he is while letting him do his thing. His thing being the hardest working champion always. I find great inspiration seeing this young man go so far above and beyond for his Art! Darby Allin, top 5 in the world!?! Wardy finishes it out with kind of an anticlimactic return, no? Glad to see the manbun go, but wouldn’t mind also seeing the booking formula of having him beat up a bunch of security guards go away too. Whatever, Joe-Wardlow’s gonna rock! LUV-LUV-AE-DUB!

Ugh, terribly disappointed to see Red Velvet go from fresh exciting heel to middling babyface again. What the fuck? Reform the Original Baddies trio, goddamnit! Clearly, Billie Starks is gonna be really good. ATHENA just continues to rule the wrestling world. What a great heel! One wonders, what a heel turn could do for lame duck Brian Pillman Jr. He was a fun heel in MLW, if memory serves correct. The pairing with Anderson father and son intrigues me. It especially interests me as a heel tandem. I loved seeing the fantastic Roosh just kill young Brian here. Work Horsemen-Dark Order was solid. I like the try on ring attire for the Horsemen. It didn't entirely work, but I think they're going in the right direction. Henry's Greenhair doesn't work with the concept. Daddy Magic can see what I'm saying. Solid tags from Top Flight-Nese/Davari and Skye/Yuka-Athena/Diamante. Dug the Dark Order-Yuka segment. I close my eyes and try to will into existence More promos on Dark Elevation. I get a sense that Brody King is the one who's gonna benefit from the House of Black allegiance most. The Kings looked good here. Dig these Outrunners! Claudo-Blake Christian was a nice main event. Blake Christian's whitemeat babyface act is winning me over. Castignoli is tremendous. Let's get the ROH TV going so he can get some direction, yeah? Matt Menard is easily the best commentator in wrestling right now.

The Cody Rhodes promo, how I've missed thee. Not high-end Cody the way of the build to the early AEW Jericho bout, but solid none the less. I'm just so fascinated by Cody and his determination to be the top babyface. Maybe they won't boo him in WWE Universe, but I Do think they might. Gable-Rollins is smooth as silk. I really hope Gable jumps ship at contract's end. Anyone know when that might be? Speaking of smooth as silk, It's Io SKY! Nice little bout here with steady LeRae. Corbin-Gargano was solid. Corbin is far better than the reputation that seems to precede him. Nice Rhea promo. Charlotte-Rhea! I'm in! MVP and Austin Theory duelling mics with a Lashley run, no thanks, skip on by, the POWER OF TAPE DELAY! Who is this Rick Boogz!? Good look, good promo, but can he work it in ring? I love Bayley. And I dig Lynch, but no fucking way am I gonna listen to this nonsense, skip on by, god bless the FFWD Button. I blame booking for the length of these verbal jousts. JONAH! I would've prefered an even more decisive squash over Ziggler. I really hope Big JONAH finds his way like he did briefly in New Japan. And Impact Wrestling for that matter. Balor-Rhodes was terrific. Tho fair protection of Finn, I'm not sure Cody getting a slight hand from Edge is a great way to build him as a world beater. Forget that, what an impressive looking hairdo Beth Phoenix sports. I loved seeing the awkwardness of Cody signalling favourably to Edge, and Adam's eyes being elsewhere, leaving lame duck Rhodes hanging. Cody is Judge Reinhold's Brad Hamilton in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Good show. It had to be to defeat Dark Elevation in this week's #MONDAYNIGHTWARS.

The LA Knight-Wyatt segment felt like some relic of wrestlecrap past you might come across that you've never seen, but what a find! Highly entertained by the complete absurdity. I feel thankful that this happened. I also feel thankful that AEW didn't jump at the opportunity to sign Bray. Good move Tony. I joined the Women's Royal Rumble in progress from Nikki Cross forward. I skimmed a small bit, but really liked what I saw, and especially that closing stretch. I've only seen a few clips of Piper Nevin, but what a bad ass! Asuka and Cross too, who paired off nicely here. I'd love for them to get a singles with some time. And Rhea Ripley is a wonderful performer, and so was that finish.

Further potentially unpopular opinion, but a strategy, one should only watch WWE on tape delay with a FFWD button close. I completely agree on the long entrances, etc. The Rumble in particular worked a lot better skimming those guys to the ring. That was a long ass entrance way. Absolutely. I wonder if Codmeister General might run into some further hurdles inadvertent, possibly political. I don't wish any ill will, I dig the American Nightmare, but I really look forward to the return of the Elite boobirds and the ultra Cody Weird Heat! Rumble was fun tho. I'm sorta new to WWE since the regime change, but anybody else find it kinda shitty how McIntyre and Sheamus go from total asskickers to Brock fodder? McIntyre would be better served not filling the post-IC run Tito Santana role. Dropping the silly sword and some of the trad scot bullshit might be good too. Loved seeing Lashley toss Lezzy. Really neat high spot between Paul and Riccochet. I wonder what a match between the two would look like? I also dug that momentary Gable-Woods grapple. I would've liked more. WALTERGUNTHER is fantastic. Neat to see Booker T and even better seeing him act like a moron and get tossed. It goes nicely with the constant stream of headlines I read of modern day Booker's dumb hottakes. Man, Cody is one of the clumsiest-looking yet still fun wrestlers going. His need for atheletic maneuvers he can only barely do is, umm, cute. Loved seeing Walter beat the fuck out of him, tho I felt a tinge of worry. What!? No, the first part, they were really great! WWE commentary is generally pretty excellent (Kevin Patrick excluded). To each their own on the needlessly distracting Excalibur-Taz mild-comedy hour. Absofuckinglutely. Like, trying to break Owens goddamn neck with the chair wrapped around it wasn't enough? I dunno, I ended up liking it because Zayn is great, the crowd was molten, and one clearly ought to restrict their better senses while watching a WWE show, but I totally agree.

Unexpected great Rampage this week! Hangman-Yuta was on point. I'm with the avalanche DVD should be a finish not a mid-match nearfall. Strangely, I feel more distaste for mid-match nearfall piledrivers (including that ridiculous 1 count Hangman sell with Mox). The absolute worst one I can remember was that Guevara-MJF match with the Avalanach Piledriver 2 count. Orndorff and the territorial banning of that still tremendous move greatly influenced my idea of wrestling psychology. Ricky Starks could benefit from a promo coach. Wait! He's clearly got terrific speaking ability, but so often he has nothing to say. Surely, a guide could help direct his terrific flow. I will say I prefer 'because that's the absolute truth' than 'because I'm absolute'. Message here is he can beat Christ Jericho. Alright. Eddie Kingston's excuse (not that his perfectly fine promo needed it) is a thus far mediocre storyline. Bad cutaway at the end of that promo - c'mon Mansury clean up this poor cutting please! Jarrett/Lethal/Dutt/Satnam are the chef's kiss. So relieved Jay's tears and love on Wednesday didn't lead to a face turn. The Satnam-Danhausen showdown was a wonderful moment. The Best Friends crew traditionally rule Friday nights, but this Sonjay led team sure gives them a run for their money. I dig Puh-Puh-Puh-Powerhouse, but these useless squashes need to stop. At least give us a unique jobber situation. Gimme Willie Hobbs destroying a huge dude like that Ben Bishop guy. Or how bout a decisive win over any of the many solid undercard Dark guys? Enough of 'Powerhouse Hobbs In Action' against guys like 'Troy MUDD'. I like seeing Red and Kiera hanging out, but so badly want them to be the heels. Velvet is clearly a better heel, further, the crowd likes Jade, so I hope they just go with it. Outsiders vs Homegrown as a theme is fine, but as a talking point feels a bit silly. I didn't watch WWE during her run, but Toni doesn't feel like a former Titan Sports contracted performer. Hayter-Sakura was one of the better main events this show has featured. Just wnoderful! AEDubya rolling along with terrific television.

@DEAN best wishes. Your regular reporting is easily my favorite wrestling writing going on. This week in particularly I love your review of the opener… Very nice and touching Jay Briscoe commemoration video. Great thanks and love to Jay Briscoe. Odd follow-up with the House of Black. Buddy Matthews in ring movement is incredible. I too think I might prefer him better in a tag team. I kept thinking during this match what he and Westin Blake might look like as a tag team in 2023. Note: I never saw them in NXT, but I've only heard good things. Buddy here with Darby looked like a potential threat and it says something for what he and Darby put together. This was the kind of solid wrestling that easily gets overlooked due to the ridiculously high bar. I liked this match, and I loved the King of Television's challenge that followed. Joe just fuckin' kills it every week! All the video packages were really good to great this week. The Mansury signing continues to show strong (if quiet) improvements. Nice to see Ethan Page get his Dark intro on TV. Although, his scatting over the classic Hardy theme, as seen on recent Darks, is more effective. I love the 'Million Dollar Corporation' era Nikolai Volkoff-Matt Hardy comparison a page or so back. Matt Hardy is still a very good tag team wrestler. As per @DEAN Jungle Boy and Hook are a terrific duo. I was fully expecting to need a skim of the Family Therapy, but they played it so well. It also ended up being a lot funnier than the previous comedy segments. I really like this Renee interviewing Hangman scenario. Yuta-Page, right on. How does Moxley-Page 3 play out? I'm intrigued. Man, people hate Brian Cage. Pretty harsh for a guy that kinda always has fun matches in AEW. @DEAN nails it here... Takeshita-Cage will indeed rule. As will any Takeshita-Danielson tags we might find ourselves wandering into. The post match beatdown and save was nicely executed. The Danielson promo was top notch too. Thatcher-Danielson is such a fun booking. What I saw of Ruby-Toni was excellent. Incredible Hip Attacks. Lame finish, but I like as somebody previously pointed out that she didn't get rolled up, but rather lost after her opponent used the distraction to hit her finisher. I'm going back to this after DEAN's great review... It's nice to see some more ppl this week giving Jay Lethal his well deserved flowers. He's had nothing but fun matches since his signing. Lethal's tears in the pre-match brought such humanity. Then Mark strolls out like the goddamn pro he is! I felt such deep love for Mark here. Truly inspiring seeing what these guys did in this match. The post match really cut in deep. Jay is clearly such a huge loss, but Mark carrying their legacy foward is kind of an extraordinary and exciting thing to see grow.

Mostly by choice, I’ve seen only two films in this Best Picture category and loved them both – ‘Triangle of Sadness’ and ‘Tar’. The word I received on Fablemans echoed my feelings about the trailer. I like seeing the suggestion above that it’s not that - 'cause I’m interested. I’m also interested in the remake of 'All Quiet on the Western Front'. A trusted friend hated 'EEAAO' and 'Women Talking' (Polley's earlier doc about her father was pretty neat, but I hated that Seth Rogan-Michelle Williams film) and I assume I would too. I'll be skipping those and the Elvis biopic and the new Avatar. I might watch 'Top Gun Maverick' some day, but I'm in no rush. Word is it’s good. I’ve decided to judge Martin McDonnaugh based on his last film ‘Three Billboards’, and from that I’ve concluded he’s a shitty filmmaker. Maybe this judgement is unfair and I’m missing out on something special with the Banshees. I’m pulling for Todd Field or Ruben Ostlund for Best Director, but my favorites, well, they so rarely win. But maybe Field could win this? I can’t imagine there was a better performance in the Best Actress category than Cate Blanchett. Tho, Ana de Armas was terrific in the underrated ‘Blonde’. I really liked Darren Aronofsky’s ‘The Whale’. I welcome the idea of a shiny gold trophy for Brendan Fraser’s excellent performance. I liked Paul Mescal in the not great, but very good ‘Aftersun’. Maybe I should have a look at Bill Nighy in ‘Living’? I didn’t see any of the Best Supporting Actor performances, but I love Brian Tyree Henry. I'm also a long time fan of the great Judd Hirsh, and very pleased to see him getting some nice roles in the twilight of his career. I cast my non-vote for The Whale's Hong Chau in the Supporting Actress category. The Glass Onion screenplay is nominated? That one was a complete miss for me from the mostly steady Rian Johnson, but my Mother liked it, so to each their own. I need to see 'All the Beauty and the Bloodshed'. I did see the excellent 'Fire of Love'. None of my favorites got nominated for Best International Feature, but I’m looking forward to seeing 'EO' (tho it looks fucking heartbreaking) and 'Argentina 1985'. Not familiar with the 'Quiet Girl' or 'Close'.

Who is Dax talking about having confronted about going to Meltzer? Later in the episode he references something that essentially sounds like him not being in good standing with Matt Jackson 'now'. I like Dax's honesty, but I worry about the needless heat he's stirring up.