Octopus

I don’t think it’s possible, but Danielson vs a returning McGuiness at Wembley would have made me cry.

I noticed Aubrey came out of the heel tunnel. Maybe Brit was right about here. Hmmmm

Bait and switch. Punk beats Omega with the promise of putting Hangman over. Instead, he beats up the Young Bucks backstage. The real question is who will Ace bite this time? Hopefully we get Omega selling like Michaels did for Hogan.

I miss Marko

Danhausen: He’s both not for me but I completely get why the act is so beloved. I prefer in YouTube skits as opposed to in matches. Saying that, the HookHausen was fun. Consider me won over? hmmm eh Daniel Garcia: The world could be his oyster. I think he leans too heavily into the taunts (you’re stepping on my Penta’s turf, buddy) but it’s taking him from guy who is good at wrestling to getting crowd responses to his personality. Agree with Matt on the booking of him. This goes back to the Danielson feud that played out a tad awkwardly (great matches though). Maybe it’s just an AEW midcard storytelling problem. I’ll get to Sammy later on that. I really like Garcia and he’s one of the wrestlers I’m most excited to see hopefully rise up the card and get even better. Hopefully a good forever feud with Yuta. Dante Martin: bummed he’s injured. Darby Allin: When I first saw him I got the appeal and he wasn’t for me. It’s hard not to become a fan of how differently he moves and the wildness of his matches. Him vs Samoa Joe was special. If they can give him the Sting retirement blessing the right way, he’ll be ready for the future main event spot. If MJF stays or returns to evil, I want Kingston to dethrone him, but past rivalry and history would point to Darby being the AEW savior. Darius Martin: I saw him as Air Wolf in F1rst Wrestling. He could fly then too! Dax Harwood: I’ll be personal. Hearing him be open about his family’s miscarriage on his podcast was heartbreaking and I love him as a person I’ll likely never talk to. Very flawed, sensitive, unable to not take things personal, and open hearted to the degree that it shines through his in ring fire. Yelling into the camera that Tony should be playing their music because their the champs after a Cole-MJF segment was very him. I shake my head but also lightly smile. I think he’s a special worker, will always be unnecessarily controversial (CM Punk Lite), and is important to the modern AEW landscape. Dustin Rhodes: Legend and still a great worker. Eddie Kingston: Mick Kobawada. Or Kenta Kawoley. Or Toshiaki Folashi. I agree with the observation of his Japanese work, but give me his excess! Long live chopping maximalism! Maybe it’ll hurt in a personal GWE List, but it’s like how people do silly matches in DDT and I personally don’t hold it against them. With his story he is open about as both a character and a human, it makes sense he’d wrestle this style. Pro or Con (I hope to ramble more soon), it’s his AEW work I should talk about. I hope he is the dethroner of an evil champ and I cry. Ethan Page: Respectfully, probably really good but I haven’t been given a good enough reason to care about him. Evil Uno: I’ve rambled on him recently. It was very thought provoking Griff Garrison: See Ethan Page Hook: Reps. He is handsome and cool. I want to see him sell and react to more situations in matches. Have him work a dark/ house match against Dustin Rhodes. You want to keep his aura, but I’m in the camp that if he got Goldberged AEW fans would likely tire of him like the Powerbomb Symphony if not given depth of good matches. I’m excited for his JungleBoy feud. Hmmmm. I don’t want to type more. I’ll sadly watch a YouTube video of people playing board games.

So what you’re saying is that internet infighting and creating spectacular situations that keep me relegated to B-level poster is what’s protecting me from my own hubris of flying too close to the sun like Icarus. And in fact everyone loves me and is protecting me from me? No one hates each other, they just love me. They really love me.

Test —- EDIT: by the way, I had an A+ post there and people will now only remember this forum feud. The type of post where fellow posters hoist me on their shoulders and shout to the heavens various “rofl” and “lol” and “be my friend, David” but we will never see that now. My moment in the sun will never happen. I feel like Wardlow as MJF threatened to fly away. Diminishing any hopes I had of being a main event we. No, I will merely be a footnote. What could have been.

Ba da ba Dow wow ba Dow di da bow wow!

I will follow along with less of a write up and more of just a sentence or two. MJF: Everything he does (on mic, in ring, and during segments), you can tell he asks himself “is this what my character would do?” Maybe the best theater kid turned wrestler. Toni Storm: You can tell she is more comfortable with her character and her role than she has ever been. I really enjoy her backstage promos. Kris Statlander: Best person to beat Jade but I’m afraid she could be lost in AEW’s booking of the women’s division. I hope she has a run of killer matches like an open challenge. Orange Cassidy: Maybe having the best midcard title run right now? He’s so important to AEW as a character but also as a wrestler. Unique but we’re past the novelty phase and into making it accepted as excellent execution of an unique fighting style. Luchasaurus: Dinosaurs are money. He should be on every souvenir cup. His strikes tightened up but still room for improvement. Keep him with Christian and maybe even reunite with heel JungleChad. Stuffed animals of him would make money. Dinosaurs are lit. Aaron Solo: A good hand. Better than the Trust Busters Action Andretti: He’s young and will improve. Giving him the Jericho win was a nice rub that will likely stay with him to give him that he can hold for clout. Put him with some good workers/ teachers and he could become something. Not for me but no hate. Adam Cole: He has undeniable charisma. Even if some of us find him awkward, he has a presence and a command of his audience. I like his presence as a heel, but this current storyline tapped into his empathy and would a bit better than anything they’ve done so far, so he’s winning me over as a face. Adam Page: Cowboy Kurt Angle. Face of AEW when they want him to be. Alex Reynolds: Underrated because his partner is fun. Maybe Cruiserweight Cash? Idk Andrade el Idolo: Current face run is weird because he was a good heel. But they never maintained any storyline, so he’s a face. Makes sense, he’s handsome and looks smooth and cool in the ring. A solid choice for a not-Punk face of Collision. Angelico: The green full body suit was weird. Does he still wear that? Angelo Parker: Him hanging through the cage if that one Blood and Guts was spectacular. He’ll likely always be the Matt Hardy of the team, but that’s not a bad thing to strive for! I like Angelo! Anthony Bowens: Future big deal! He is so money. Stay healthy and hopefully the Acclaimed don’t do anything stupid/ too far. But I think he’ll be fine. I’m excited to see him rise up the ranks. Anthony Ogogo: AR Fox: I bet he is a blast to see live! Not my style but in a trio or wild tag he is perfect. Ari Daivari: The Trust Busters we’re dumb. I’ve seen him at local shows so he’s forgiven. But you’re in thin ice, Ari. Austin Gunn: He’s got it. Top notch douche-face. Piece of shit and I love it. Needs more polish but that’ll come with experience. Keep them in feuds. Fun entrance. Bandido: Tony Khan acquires talent like drafting best player available. Not a bad philosophy but we can see people get a hot debut/ few moments then kinda show up every once in a while. He could have been an early big deal in the company but chose to sign with ROH over a pre-Dynamite AEW. I think ROH is a good spot for him or the occasional banger. I’ve seen so little but he’s always impressed me. Plus, a great look! Idk what you do with him outside of BOOK MATCHES OCTOPUS LIKES segments. His matches with Danielson and Jericho were both wonderful. I’d love to see him against Rush or Claudio. Big Bill: ugh, I don’t like saying this but maybe best big man in the company right now? He pulls off being a big mean heel well. Billy Gunn: Brandon Cutler: Fantastic stooge during the heel Omega run. Please have him join Don Callis as his assistant. Brian Cage: Fast paced Wardlow? I’m sure great trio piece. Sideburns. Brock Anderson: Give him a billion reps! Pay him to travel the Indy’s. Send him in excursion. See if he could do a cute lil 4 Horsemen run at DDT or something. Brody King: Bryan Danielson: Mr Winter. Seems to have hot beginnings and endings of years in AEW. . Bandito, Rush, Takeshita, Thatcher, and Cage all in good to great matches leading to my MOTY so far with MJF. Time off, then an Anarchy in the Arena and great commentary work. Then a weird but thought provoking match against Okada. Now injured. Always something with the American Dragon. Buddy Matthews: I remember he had a promo package in 205Live that had so much personality and gave him such an intense douche heel vibe. Being in HoB doesn’t allow that personality to thrive. But, the plus side is when he has stand out moments or solo matches, he comes across more important because he’s with Brody and Malakai. Cash Wheeler: What Matt said, but I still like Dax. I hope we see a string of singles matches. Chris Jericho: Storylines usually are ok or suck. I like a lot of his matches when I assume I won’t. You can predict who he will feud or pair with by who is getting over. I’m higher on him than most here, but not a super fan. Singing is fun. I wore an Inner Circle shirt yesterday. Christian Cage: “Christian's awesome. #1 and the best. I love that guy. I want a three match series with Darby. I want a three match series with everyone. I know he's in great shape but it feels like borrowed time and he's best working weekly on TV and switching moves and spots around and working with a guy's signature stuff and fitting it all in. Super wrestling savant. Plus he gets real heat. I can't wait for him to interact with Perry again! Or have a singles with Punk or Starks or anyone. I wish he was wrestling every week.” - @Matt D Christopher Daniels: I don’t have modern thoughts. Good veteran to pair young folks with. Maybe give him a cute little team called The Fallen Angels or something dumb. I respect him as a worker. Was a fan of TNA when he was X-Divisioning and he was old school ROH. I assume he sucked at talent relations but that’s mean assumptions on my part off of poor communication comments made by people no longer with the company. RIP Marko. Was never my favorite but a legend. Chuck Taylor: I love Chunk Taylor. Keep him as a tag guy. Interview adlibs are money. Maybe a trio title run or something cute. Claudio: BCC Claudio is the best thing they could have done for him. He comes across as an athletic scary dick. He struggled at showing personality in WWE (in UUDD he oozed it, along with Athena and others!!!!!) but in AEW he has tapped into something. He likes puns, but he’s super competitive and petty mad when he loses. CM Punk: Edgy Cody + Wordsmith Bret Colt Cabana: Indy Icon. You can’t let him go or Punk will be blamed. Very fun to watch live. Colton Gunn: Read his brother but less abrasive and more entitled scoffing at people looking mother fucker. Fuck him. Good stuff. Fuck this was annoying to do on here. Next time I’ll use notes in my phone. I regret this and might have typos.

They go to get their haircut. BAM. Super kick through a window. Profit.

I like the idea of a Meltzer Driver where Platinum Satinam is still touching the ground.

Canadian Papa Pump doesn’t even do one push-up taught in a match….

Sadly I’m not

Don’t turn this isn’t an annoying squabbling thread. Just like the WrestleMania thread where douchebags kept clearly misquoting and misrepresenting the great @Belgian_Waffle. Everyone calm down and not take everything so personal. It’s a fun show.

As long as having two titles means the belts turn the color of their respective brand then I am all for it.

TEAM HORIZONTAL VS TEAM VERTICAL Steamboat, JYD, Hart, Tito, and Dusty vs Steele, Andre, Flair, Sarge, Jake

Fuck yeah, Curt!

This would be perfect for me as a WWF-only kid growing up. So much WCW I missed!

I think I’m more worried about meh storylines of a Jericho vs Ospreay build up then whether or not the match will be good. Jericho has several really good matches in AEW. Put him with an athletic stud or interesting performer and it usually does well. Note on the singing: the time I saw Jericho at the legendary QUAKE BY THE LAKE I was pretty pumped to sing. He was Lionheart against Mox and we got his old entrance music. Pretty fun still.

Hmmmmm. A few elements I enjoy in wrestling that I feel make a good match: I love watching struggle and feeling like each move and moment is earned and the strikes are hard (Devil Masami vs Chigusa Nagayo - 1985). I also enjoy matches rich with references to previous moments and call backs (The Young Bucks vs Kenny Omega & Hangman Adam Page) where the story is progressed by the match and not just segments surrounding the match. I also love drama and spectacle of a large and/ or ridiculous moment (Terry Funk vs Atsushi Onita or Mankind vs Undertaker). It doesn’t even need be a large spot, but could even be that iconic moment you mentally picture when you think of the match (Bret Hart vs Stone Cold Steve Austin). I feel a match that combines those three things is Mitsuhara Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue - 1995. Ever since I’ve seen it, I go back and watch that match at least twice a year. Each time I pick up new pieces I appreciate and admire. I love Kobashi climbing over Misawa. I love the King Road style of execution. I love how all the characters play off of each other. Honorable mentions being Akira Hokuto vs Shinobu Kandori and MJF vs Bryan Danielson.

Dean wanted me to do the last one so I’ll make this one work.

Many people worship differently. For questions on faith, the WWE midcard gimmicks, and t-shaped logos, please visit the ghost thread that is Ask Octopus Anything

Bring in Dino Winwood?

Was Shane’s baptism a work?