NoFistsJustFlips

Big time disagree on this. Why do people get so up in arms about this? Would you say the same thing about an MMA commentator putting over a female fighter for dropping weight and fighting in a new weight class? He's not being pervy. She busted her ass in rehab from the torn ACL. He is putting her over for transforming into a better athlete while away. I'm not saying he doesn't say pervy shit ever. He did openly pine for a wardrobe malfunction for Anna Jay once. So he's not a total innocent here. But he's painting a picture of Statlander coming back in better shape than when she left. It's a dedication to craft story beat. Not a pervy dude talking about her body measurements.

Still not buying it. They're gonna run Omega vs Christian twice in 2 weeks? If that is actually the title match for All Out, you're giving it away on free TV a couple weeks earlier? So who would people buy the PPV? Yes I know in this scenario there would be Punk's debut as the big draw. But it just still seems like an oddity for how AEW usually operates. Holding out hope maybe they run an injury angle on Rampage. I love Christian. And I'm very excited to see him vs Omega. But the right time for this match was Double or Nothing. Not now. They've waiting too long with too much other stuff going on and this seems like a complete after thought. -Christian wins the Impact Title on Rampage. The Elite do a major beat down and injure him. -Andrade wins the AAA Title on Saturday at Triple Mania. Distraught crazy Kenny is unhinged losing two titles. -Says on Dynamite since Christian is injured he issues an open challenge for anyone at All Out. -Surprise Challenger at the PPV. Ends up being Hangman and he is crowned the champ when everyone thought it wasn't booked to happen. It was all a dirt sheet swerve to make us realize we were missing out on if it didn't happen. That's what Im hoping to see.

AEW is in a weird position. They have a lot of big things in motion. The first Rampage show. The First Dance. The Grand Slam show. Punk. Danielson. But they also have a PPV that is (checks calendar) three weeks from Sunday. And thus far have not really set anything in stone for the PPV. They have some stories on the stove cooking. But nothing is really in that ready to eat state yet. Basically I'm just very hungry and that's messing with my metaphors here lol. But the PPV is three weeks from Sunday. I hope having all these other big things on their plate doesn't let them forget to lock in the main course. Hoping they set at least one match for the PPV in stone tonight.

I think people are jump to a crazy conclusion that they're giving Elias the Fiend gimmick. There was a guitar thrown in a fire. And the Fiend was burned by fire. That's legitimately the only link. 4 + 4 is not 37 guys. But that being said, it's all Bray's creation. Like he came up with all the characteristics himself. All WWE did was add shitty lighting to his matches. So if they did give the character to someone else it would be a gigantic slap in the face. This isn't Doink where they had a character in mind and filled the role. Then recast the role. This is taking someone else's creation and giving it away just because of the shitty one sided contracts they make people sign saying it's technically legal to do so. It's not worth it.

There's a 99% chance they have multiple designs spread out on the subway system. Common marketing tool. Instead of putting 100 of the same design, you make 5 different designs and put 20 each up. You catch more attention that way with different people to look at vs the same design over and over. So the omitted people are probably just on a different design.

Those low rings still bump the same as regular ring, but it's a mind fuck. I've had a bunch of matches in them and don't think I've ever had a good match in one. I just can't get my bearings. It messes up your flow when you look out at the fans and they are even with the middle rope. Less room on dives and any apron / top rope positioned moves. Basically just turns my equilibrium into a mess. Never really asked any other workers if they have that same issue or if it's a me thing. But no thank you to working in one of those for me.

It's a weird situation because NXT suits my personal tastes way more than main roster WWE. But I agree with them restructuring. If the main roster is going to stay as is, then bringing in guys that don't fit the main roster mold is kind of a waste of resources. ROH style Tyler Black being remolded into WWE style Seth Rollins is what they want. Indies Keith Lee being sent up as indies Keith Lee annoys Vince. He wants people in the style he wants. So sending up round pegs for his square holes is dumb. I don't agree with what his vision in guys is, but it's not changing. So put your money and power behind making that happen vs hording guys you don't even want, just to keep them from AEW & New Japan.

They can't forcast bonuses and merchandise revenue like that. Every offer they make is a downside offer. This is your salary. You can get more than your salary maybe, but you can't get less. But there's no way to make an offer that includes numbers you have no idea of knowing at this moment in time. That being said, what does a million dollar downside even mean anymore? Gallows & Andersoon stayed put because of huge $800k downsides. They got cut 6 months into a 5 year deal. They never actually made that $800k. Which is why in Adam Cole's position the million dollar number would be worthless to me. Because six months down the line maybe Vince decides he doesn't like your accent or doesn't like the way you make a facial reaction to pain and you become a "budget cut". Looking at wrestling as a business, you'd be a fool accept WWE at their word right now. So in his shoes I'd still walk.

I don't disagree with anything you've said. They were in a tag title program with The Young Bucks where they made bad small dick & incest jokes. Smelly vagina jokes are very in line with what they've been doing the whole time. Low hanging fruit, yes. Lazy, yes. Unoriginal, yes kind of. I'd argue at least rhyming the jokes is pretty original in the context of the characters currently in AEW. They are characters based on millennial hip hop culture. I promise you that genre has artists saying a lot worse than a veiled Duke lacrosse jokes. That being said, rape jokes are not okay on a wrestling show. Without knowing much about that scandal I didn't realize that's what was referenced. So of everything he said that's the only thing that crosses the line. Even still I get them not censoring it. I'm sure someone pulled him aside and said hey man do your deal just leave the references to that on the scrap heap from now on. It's a teaching moment. Not a let's come for this guy moment.

We really gotta irradiate this term "X-Pac heat". Waltman is the man. He had like one shitty six month run in X-Factor that sucked. 20 years later that shouldn't be what his legacy is. Just say "Go Away heat" instead. He deserves better.

So his storyline is ONLY losing at this point? That's where my disconnect is. You're making this giant jump in logic that his story can only progress with a loss and that's just not true. You can certainly progress this exact same story without booking that loss. That's my hangup. That's my confusion. You're saying there are two options. A loss or catering. That's not true, there's a third option. A win. Then next week run the exact same thing they did tonight, only not from Chicago. Whether you personally agree or disagree if that's a good idea is moot. You're posting as if it's not possible. And it is. Fair point. But they *should* know. They have that little internal sheet that lists the location of the week, what the last event held there was, what it drew, what the main event was, who is baby, who is heel, who is injured, who is inactive. Just add a column for dude who are billed from this city. Would take whoever compiles those internals an extra 10 seconds. So while you are right, that's not a good excuse for them in my opinion.

You're not giving a straight answer. Why are you of the belief that he's only likely to be used if he had to lose in Chicago? Why is it more likely he sits in catering than gets a win here? You said it not me. Just trying to follow your logic. The way WWE creative works is not this story has ten steps and has to be done in that specific order. WWE creative is well we have an idea of where we want this to lead but we just throw shit at the wall to get there. And that's only until Vince tears up the script and they re-write whatever he wants. So why would it be so difficult to pencil in guys to win in their hometown? Why are you saying not using them at all is the WWE preference vs a hometown win? You're making a big leap to get to your generalization and I don't follow the steps you're taking to assume that.

Again counterpoint here but... what? Are you saying the way WWE works is at this juncture of the story that it's 100% written in stone that Ali & Mansoor HAVE TO lose? Like, they can't just get one more win this week? You can't do two weeks of them surprised they gel before you make them eat a loss and have that friction and doubt? Do you see how weird that sounds? WWE write the stories. It's not like they're handed a script by some Hollywood studio and have to follow that script to the letter. How hard is it to just write the story for the guy to look strong in front of his hometown? Still do the story you want to do. Just craft it to not make home town people look like geeks every single time every single one of them is in their hometown. 100% of the time hometown performers look like shit in their hometown. I'm just at a loss for how that is supposed to inspire performer loyalty from an audience for their guy.

What's wrong with a good vagina joke? lol When I first read the synopsis of what he said I was right there with ya. But listening to it myself it's not as harsh as people are making it out to be. He didn't make fun of mental health. He dissed one athlete, without crossing any lines. Then he joked about those rapid covid tests that were giving a punch of false positives, not denying covid. Then a vagina joke. Like none of this shit even crosses the PG-13 line. Let alone AEW wants to be the edgy R rated company. You guys have become too used to PG wrestling me thinks.

Counterpoint, do that story beat next week. Let Ali smash the jobbers and look like world beater in Chicago. Then they can go back to their tired singles dudes reluctantly form a team story for the 30,000th time next week.

Not so much constructive criticism as confusion here... but I just do not get making everyone a big time loser in their hometown. If it were my choice to make I'd make dudes damn near invincible in their hometown. It's a great story telling device. You can have a dominant heel champ go against a middle of the card guy in his home town, and if it's been built up that he never loses there it's plausible he can beat the dominant champ. There's just way more money in making a crowd go helll yeah that's our guys vs making the crowd go ugh wish our guy looked better. It isn't 1975. There's just no sympathy in making the hometown guy look like a chump. I think Montreal broke Vince's brain in a way. He just never wants to be put in that situation where the hometown hero doesn't want to do a job at home. But it's become a big detriment to the enjoyment of the audiences.

Respectfully disagree. Punk debuting in front of 3,000 in Jacksonville is decisively not the right time or place for his debut. Debuting in front of a hot sold out crowd in his home town in the big building the Bulls play in, is. I get the advertise side of the debate. That's where my head was at last week and thought it was baffling they were trying to sell tickets on a wink wink nudge nudge. Then they sold out in 4 minutes. They know what they're doing, we're just not patient enough for it / used to it. The big thing missing from wrestling is the "anything can happen" vibe. They promote the hell out of everything. Surprises are welcome. Yes maybe they'd get a .2 higher rating if they advertised. But that's not worth sacrificing that insane pop for when he shows up unannounced. Like kinda wink wink announced but not really. I bet the August 20th Rampage episode hits 1.5 million. Even without it being explicitly announced ahead of time.

Why are your bringing skin color into this? I didn't suggest an alternative that also happened to be black or anything, so... My laughing at that was based on Punk & Acclaimed could not be further apart. You got Castor doing dis tracks. You got Bowens with the big speaker and chain. Those are what their characters are based on. They talk, dress, and represent millennial hip hop culture. Punk is a old school punk music die hard who is close friends with dudes like the singer from Rancid. He's also in his 40s and straight edge. Nothing about that pairing makes any sense what so ever. And no skin color was never factored into that. But sure let's just mash shit up that makes no sense. Bob Backlund is bound to be the new leader of The Dark Order then right?

Ahh yes because CM Punk is certainly who I think of when you say leader of a hip hop group based around killer dis tracks ?

1,000% agree. The character is cool as hell. The way he was made to wrestle (regardless who made the decision) was a mistake. There's no where to go with a literal monster that can't feel pain. Should have toned down the no selling nature and dialed it back to purple Undertaker levels. Grey Undertaker worked mostly like a zombie. But once he "died" and came back as purple Undertaker (as a face) he sold a lot more. That was the perfect nexus for a monster character being able to have a match that makes sense still. When he was swamp Bray he had some solid to great matches. Mostly with Bryan on his side, against Bryan, and in six man tags. So he was definitely capable in ring. It just got muddied up. Also a pet peeve of mine that made me hate the character's matches... the god damn colored lighting. It's just so unpleasant to watch. Especially the hyper HD red they used for him. That HIAC with Rollins had the red lighting, a red cell, and the super monster no selling combo. Add in a stupid finish and that match should really be brought up more for how much of a shit show it was. I really like this actually. It's the same deep Br sound as Bray and Wa is the same deep sound as Wy. The order is just reversed. Still ends in a hard T sound too. This is the best one that's been pitched in here so far as capturing the same deep ring announcer annunciations on the mic for his name. Mick Foley is a genius, even when his he's misspeaking lol.

Bray Wyatt was BW initials. Can't use Bray anymore but something similar sounding would help with recognition. My vote... Beau Windham. Also BW initials. Beau / Bray very similar. Wyatt / Windham same amount of syllables. Just my two cents...

Are you insinuating WWE have no photos of Bray out of character since he started being The Fiend? You know like the Firefly Funhouse picture of not in gimmick Bray they used allllll the time to promote the funhouse segments? Or the matches regular Bray worked? To answer your question, no I don't expect them to use a Twitter picture. I expect them to use one of the 100s of professional promo pictures they make him take backstage. One current to what he looks like, not one from 3 years ago at his most out of shape. ETA: Sorry if that sounds like I'm salty with you lol. I'm not. Came out harsher than I intended because I'm so baffled. That is a jaded view and a shitty way to look at it. You are probably right in that being how WWE views it. I just don't like it. I expect more class out of them than that. I shouldn't. But I do.

Right. The picture you posted is at least 75 pounds lighter than the old bloated picture they used from right around the time the cult leader version of Bray went away.

Anyone else rolling their eyes at the photo they used? Bray from years ago when he looked much worse physically. Just a petty shot on the way from my perspective. Man you gotta feel for the guy. Hope this is part of what he actually wanted for his own mental health well being, and not something forced upon him.

I definitely called Roman vs Cena being the Summer Slam match still. Why would WWE tease a fresh match that most of the crowd generally wants to see then take it away? Odd choice in story telling.