AEW TV - 8/9 - 8/15/2023

[The Natural]

4 minutes ago, JLowe said:

Pretty audible “fuck you” during the match

 

2 minutes ago, Matt D said:

Specifically to Willow, I think. She just got lost in the moment and in her character. The announcers even commented on it.

Might get a fine. Even the commentators commented on it.

[John from Cincinnati]

42 minutes ago, StuntmanCrowley said:

oh 100% and I'm aware im in the minority, but i jsut think what he's doing isn't "heel work" and if it is, it's go away heat.  He's just screeching for the sake of it because he knows he has free reign to do whatever he wants.  Agree to disagree, I like his matches, will ignore his promos and the person he is.

It's not heel work or screeching. Since his return he's been presenting as someone who the converted can cheer and the haters can dislike. He's a person people have always had strong opinions about because he's perceived as speaking his mind and he's highly incentivized to sustain that. You're ignoring any level of craft. It's very clearly not just screeching or the Ego hour. And this fantasy about a mute Punk is childish and ignores much of what his craft and appeal is. 

Also, a tip: Maybe don't use scare quotes when talking about people thinking Punk lives in your head rent free when you earnestly used similar phrasing about Hangman living in Punk's head on the previous page. It looks like projection when it's coming from the loudest and most consistent resident Punk hater. 

Edited August 13, 2023 by John from Cincinnati

[Matt D]

I'm watching the main now.

When they cycled through to Punk vs Malakai Black, a CM Punk chant started, then the boos came down.

BUT, a second before, when the tag was made to Malakai with Punk standing there in the middle of the ring, the entire crowd buzzed for it. No cheers. No boos. Just excitement.

Edited August 13, 2023 by Matt D

[John from Cincinnati]

7 minutes ago, Matt D said:

I'm watching the main now.

When they cycled through to Punk vs Malakai Black, a CM Punk chant started, then the boos came down.

BUT, a second before, when the tag was made to Malakai with Punk standing there in the middle of the ring, the entire crowd buzzed for it. No cheers. No boos. Just excitement.

There's an energy around the key figures of Collision who haven't had much to do on AEW TV in a while. Malakai not having had a singles match on TV in over a year is dripping with that. People are dying for anything, and giving people a taste of him and Punk was both smart and well executed. 

It's the same with Miro, with people popping for a surprise announcement of him participating in a squash. They're starving. Very useful stuff.

Edited August 13, 2023 by John from Cincinnati

[StuntmanCrowley]

9 minutes ago, John from Cincinnati said:

It's not heel work or screeching. Since his return he's been presenting as someone who the converted can cheer and the haters can dislike. He's a person people have always had strong opinions about because he's perceived as speaking his mind and he's highly incentivized to sustain that. You're ignoring any level of craft. It's very clearly not just screeching or the Ego hour. And this fantasy about a mute Punk is childish and ignores much of what his craft and appeal is. 

Also, a tip: Maybe don't use scare quotes when talking about people thinking Punk lives in your head rent free when you earnestly used similar phrasing about Hangman living in Punk's head on the previous page. It looks like projection when it's coming from the loudest and most consistent resident Punk hater. 

I'm definitely biased towards Punk because I like to love his inring work and think he's a trashbag of a human being, so ill take your advice ito account.  I don't think it's craft at all because he has yet to throw shade at Omega or the Bucks and just is fixated on Hangman and his little tirades or whatever term i should use that is acceptable, detract from the product for me.  I dont think hes worth the fanfare, but im sure there wrestlers im a fan of that others would disagree..  I'll keep my mouth shut when Joe drops the fall to him at Wembley even though it further will diminish ROH over a fake title and a primadona.

[Stefanie Sparkleface]

Personally, I wouldn't mind free rent. Housing costs, am I right?

[SturmCRF]

7 minutes ago, Matt D said:

I'm watching the main now.

When they cycled through to Punk vs Malakai Black, a CM Punk chant started, then the boos came down.

BUT, a second before, when the tag was made to Malakai with Punk standing there in the middle of the ring, the entire crowd buzzed for it. No cheers. No boos. Just excitement.

Yeah, there's so much money in a Malakai singles run, especially a match vs Punk. I don't know what sort of physical state he's in, he always looks fine but from interviews you'd think his back was worse than Dalton Castle's. I hope not, because as much as I love the House Of Black wrecking people as a team, they all have loads to offer as singles wrestlers. And I want to see him entering the ring to Amenra again.

[The Natural]

Malakai Black facial fuzz free will take getting used to.

[The Natural]

I'm really going to miss Ian Riccaboni.

[keith_h]

1 hour ago, The Natural said:

I wanted Christian Cage as actual TNT Champion. Let new talent learn from him then put the right guy over for it.

Easy answer should have been have Christian “finger poke of Doom” Luchasaurus for the belt.  Just have the dinosaur lay down and Christian wins the belt with one foot. Cause it’s not working as it currently is. Nobody cares about Luchasarus.

[John from Cincinnati]

4 minutes ago, StuntmanCrowley said:

I don't think it's craft at all because he has yet to throw shade at Omega or the Bucks and just is fixated on Hangman

See, you're seeing red with Punk so much that you've already forgotten the "counterfeit Bucks" line from his return promo. And that's to say nothing of the wide net he's casting with more generalized comments about being the adult in the room and whatnot. He's presenting as deliberately crotchety and self-serious in ways that will annoy the people who aren't bought in and be a sensible chuckle to those who are. 

On the other side of the coin, you can't not raise similar eyebrows when Kenny seems to be putting a punctuation mark on it whenever he's mentioned Collision in front of an audience to ooohs and aaahs. These guys are all (knowingly or unknowingly) peacocking at one another and it's great. 

[StuntmanCrowley]

I did forget the counterfeit Bucks line, so i fully admit fault on that.  Also to clarify, the mute Punk line was more of a joke because like i keep saying, i like the guys in-ring work but he takes me out of it the second he opens his mouth.

 

I'm honestly chomping at the bit for Punk v Black/Omega/Brody King, etc, etc, etc.  

[Curt McGirt]

1 hour ago, The Natural said:

I'm really going to miss Ian Riccaboni.

Wait WHAT?! Where the fuck is Riccaboni going?! Did I miss or ignore some retirement news like I'm now thinking? Aw man...

Dunno how I missed the Diamante naughty word though, that's really beyond me

[The Natural]

Just now, Curt McGirt said:

Wait WHAT?! Where the fuck is Riccaboni going?! Did I miss or ignore some retirement news like I'm now thinking? Aw man...

Dunno how I missed the Diamante naughty word though, that's really beyond me

Back to ROH as Kevin Kelly returns because the NJPW G1 Climax ended today.

[zendragon]

14 hours ago, John from Cincinnati said:

It’s happening!

 

 

lotta hitting muthatruckers with muthatruckers in that women’s match!

Iron Savages are going to be on the cover of American Bear magazine?

[Curt McGirt]

Well, at least he'll be in ROH. Kelly needs to be either left in Japan or shot into orbit. We need Riccaboni and Caprice on both ROH and Collision. 

[odessasteps]

Im disappointed to learn I’m not the boards biggest hater of Phil. 

[odessasteps]

The way Ian discusses things in the BTS discord, it sounds like he has a good work/family balance and doing too much wrestling would disrupt that. 

[John from Cincinnati]

15 minutes ago, odessasteps said:

Im disappointed to learn I’m not the boards biggest hater of Phil. 

You’re a contender, but Stuntman is louder about it more often on the board. He’s just hungrier for the crown.

[The Natural]

48 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said:

Well, at least he'll be in ROH. Kelly needs to be either left in Japan or shot into orbit. We need Riccaboni and Caprice on both ROH and Collision. 

Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman is my favourite commentary team in wrestling.

[Octopus]

I really like that the theme or various stories of Collision revolve around relationships with Punk. It can be tough to pull off, but when there is interconnected rivalries and dramas, it can lead to compelling television. Joe and Punk have a long history together where Joe was more dominant, but a recent roll up loss and he wants war while Punk is battling other fronts. Ricky Starks seemed to have turned a new leaf when CMFTR had his back, but arrogance and disrespect won out and now they have beef. Of course the Elite tension is felt, alongside a Young Bucks against FTR match coming up. CM Punk feels he never rightfully lost the title that MJF holds, and that will eventually be a big deal. All roads point to Punk.

[John from Cincinnati]

10 minutes ago, Octopus said:

I really like that the theme or various stories of Collision revolve around relationships with Punk. It can be tough to pull off, but when there is interconnected rivalries and dramas, it can lead to compelling television. Joe and Punk have a long history together where Joe was more dominant, but a recent roll up loss and he wants war while Punk is battling other fronts. Ricky Starks seemed to have turned a new leaf when CMFTR had his back, but arrogance and disrespect won out and now they have beef. Of course the Elite tension is felt, alongside a Young Bucks against FTR match coming up. CM Punk feels he never rightfully lost the title that MJF holds, and that will eventually be a big deal. All roads point to Punk.

Not to mention that Bullet Club Gold have a win over the top babyfaces in their back pocket and Punk’s just now gotten to work with his buddies and Buddy. People talk a lot about the Codyverse, but the truth is a lot AEW booking has been heavily siloed and there’s something to be said about us being less than two months into Collision and Punk’s already touched most of the pieces on the board. 

[Jenalysis]

2 hours ago, Matt D said:

I'm watching the main now.

When they cycled through to Punk vs Malakai Black, a CM Punk chant started, then the boos came down.

BUT, a second before, when the tag was made to Malakai with Punk standing there in the middle of the ring, the entire crowd buzzed for it. No cheers. No boos. Just excitement.

 

In the crowd last night- it was very mixed.   Some folks liked both teams, some folks hated Punk loved FTR, some Punk fans.  I was full on team HoB.

Only thing you can do is roll with it, and do NJPW-style booking where fans just pick their babyfaces and heels.   There were diehard Suzuki-Gun fangirls in NJPW.

 

 

[Matt D]

I've got less time than I have things to write right now, but very quickly:

• Starks interview was solid and shows the very deliberate pacing here. With any other show from any other company we'd have some idea if he'd actually be managing someone or not.
• I liked that one of the underlying stories behind Acclaimed vs Iron Savages was that the Savages kept trying to take it to the next level with high risk/top rope moves and paying for it. Otherwise, it had the hallmarks like Caster fighting for the AA. Bowens looked great like always. It's a shame the TV crowd didn't get to see the call-and-repeat stuff the Savages do because I still think that maybe, maybe might get over.
• There were a couple of rough patches in the women's tag, I won't say that there wasn't, but overall I liked it a lot. At one point it felt weird Mercedes got up exactly when Kris yelled at her too but then Kris kept yelling at everyone and it went over the top well enough to work. The attitude was on point and that's what matters the most.
• Everett rolling through and eating the clothesline was beautiful.
• Brock Anderson got NOTHING against Luchasaurus, which made sense because Darby got so much, I guess. Darby vs Christian as a battle of two of the best TV Workers in the company is something I've wanted forever, so I'm pretty excited about it.
• I half thought we'd see Starks back with Hobbs but I guess not. I'd say that Miro vs Hobbs is one of those matches that neither guy can lose, but Hobbs' year has more or less put him below Miro, unfortunately. He can lose on the way towards the babyface turn, I guess.
• Speaking of babyface turns, I know it's so amazingly premature, but nine months down the line when Toni takes this character as far as humanly possible and turns with it, it's going to be a thing of absolute beauty.
• I have stuff to talk about with the main at SC Monday night, but it's primarily about commercial breaks and how they structured the match. A lot of meat on the bone to go back to things in a month or two here. Good show overall.

[odessasteps]

1 hour ago, John from Cincinnati said:

You’re a contender, but Stuntman is louder about it more often on the board. He’s just hungrier for the crown.

Probably because I hate so many people, it's spread thin.