AEW TV - 9/13 - 9/19/2023 - Haaalf in the baaaag

[Curt McGirt]

Bringing it back to Botchamania, they showed the Destroyer exchange (I feel ill just writing that) between Orange and Penta at the end of the episode overlayed with Funk repeating "FOREVER". It was... something. 

The sad thing about all this is that it just reminded me of Kobashi vs. Sasaki, who did their own version of that in the endless chop exchange of their match. If you hoped someone stateside would do that and finally kill off the chop exchange forever with it, sorry, but it's already happened and it didn't work. Just like the Canadian Destroyer is here to stay, too. (Someone is gonna tell me they were trading Code Reds now and I'll have to wipe the egg off)

[Curt McGirt]

6 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

I had the Aussie Open theme chant in my head when I woke up. Not sure if that's good or bad. 

...and since Bizarre Foods is on TV right now I know the origin of the chant (it's a Welsh rugby chant originating in coalminers' wives yelling "Oggie!", which is a pasty they made for lunch, and the miners responding "Oi!"). Nice coincidence.

[Belgian_Waffle]

I don't even necessarily mind the endless strike exchanges, they feel rote enough at this point that it's like complaining about too many collar and elbow tie ups. It's the super contrived stuff like the aforementioned Destroyer sequences or tribute spots where the guy getting hurt is cooperating by then doing a thing that the guy who got hurt in the original match they're paying tribute to did that really turn me off of what we could broadly call the AEW house style.

I think they just have too many guys working that crazy athletic style and more particularly too many guys working that crazy athletic style and also feuding with one another. Claudio vs Fenix was a fun, interesting big guy vs lucha guy match that one time; the endless Elite vs Death Triangle wankfests (or even HOB vs Death Triangle wankfests) were exhausting.

AEW has enough diverse big men like Brody King and Miro and Big Bill (plus a one of a kind guy like Kingston) that we shouldn't get stuck watching a mirror match between two daredevils every week. Even a big man vs big man program like Miro vs Hobbs feels like a missed opportunity to expand everyone's horizons by "feuding against type". For instance, Omega vs Hobbs and Miro vs Takeshita would be two much more intriguing matchups than the programs all four guy are currently in with one another. 

Edited September 19, 2023 by Belgian_Waffle

[Zakk_Sabbath]

@Belgian_WafflewI'm a big wankfest fan, so we'll agree to disagree on finding them exhausting, but you make an excellent point about feuding vs type - Miro/Hobbs at All Out was one of my absolute favorite matches of the year and Id love to see more like that.

[zendragon]

WHEN YOU FIND OUT THERE'S A NEW HOSS IN TOWN AND HE'S ENTIRELY MADE OF SAUCE!!!!

Seriously Rampage and Collison where really good, We got a Pretty Peter sighting, a fun, 8 man and an awesome main event on the former and later had some really great tag wrestling  and a hoss in everymatch! The Workhorse men are up next! Big ole sum bitch Bill just killing it! I like this formula where you have a shorter competitive match that shows heiracy with out being a total squash like Iron Savages v FTR or that really cool Henry v Miro match from a couple of weeks back

[Godfrey]

9 hours ago, Belgian_Waffle said:

I don't even necessarily mind the endless strike exchanges, they feel rote enough at this point that it's like complaining about too many collar and elbow tie ups. It's the super contrived stuff like the aforementioned Destroyer sequences or tribute spots where the guy getting hurt is cooperating by then doing a thing that the guy who got hurt in the original match they're paying tribute to did that really turn me off of what we could broadly call the AEW house style.

Hard disagree. A collar and elbow is a basic wrestling starting point that everyone can do no matter the size differential, strike exchanges are a parody of a New Japan main event spot that gets inserted randomly into matches by wrestlers whose characters do not support it. Eddie Kingston? Sure, he makes sense, especially against an old rival like Claudio. But when Peter Avalon is also doing it earlier in the night it loses all its impact

[The Natural]

Baker's one of the best at always spotting the camera.

[Shartnado]

Hell of a week, show-wise! There was a lot of insanity in the Rampage opener. When the Hype Man was insisting on doing a cross body from the top to the floor and was stopped by the heels twice, it didn't occur to me that they were actually trying to protect him. This became apparent when he finally did it an jumped onto Satham! Happy now, dumbass? That was a whole lot of people involved in and around that match, huh?

Main event went as well as it could have, under the circumstances. Huge win for Statlander, she's legit now. Good luck, Jade. I hope it will turn out well for you.

Collision had so much! Starks with a huge win, let's see him survive a Texas Death Mach, then!

FTR title match was plenty of fun for such a sprint. Cocaine Bear Country looked good, this is the bare (heh) minimum of their being on offense during matches. They should never not get at least some of their shit in! Jacked Jameson continued being totally useless, which made me laugh and silently cry at the same time.

It's a good thing I bought WrestleDream, but Aussie Open vs FTR would have done it, regardless.

If Eddie doesn't win next week, I'll probably riot on my couch.

Idolo vs Sky was a good, fresh,  interesting pairing that I hardly paid any attention to. But yes, having these fresh matches is great. The post match took forever, but Idolo vs White is even more interesting and fresh.

I wonder what the stipulation will be when Miro and Hobbs collide again?

OC and Hook make for another interesting combo, to say the least. They also seem to be competing in exactly that: Who says the least?

Toni Storm has really found something after losing the title and her marbles.

Statlander with a career-defining week here with two main events successfully defending against her two hardest opponents. Now watch Thunder Rosa blidside her and take the title! If she will be back ever, that is.

The entire next (this) week looks insane. This is exactly the kind of overcompensating for missing Punk I'm looking for!

[HarryArchieGus]

This past week started with a bang-ing Mox v Bill battle. Mox’s ‘tired, bruised, beaten bad ass’ post match altercation with Fenix and the ending point on Kingston v Claudio was as a tight piece of business. The Kingston promo on Collision was a bit senseless and silly, but was delivered so emotionally well that it did the exact job it needed to.

I wish they’d given Rey Fenix a nice singles win on the road to his bout with Mox. Instead, a completely forgettable 8 man on Rampage.

Ricky Starks continues to make pretty well of his screen time this week. Some good promo work. The Collision Opener w/Bill v Clamdigger Danielson/Claudio was a nice booking. Seems like a bit too much for Danielson to be feuding with Starks and Sabre. 

Don Callis segments are a treat. The Daniel Garcia dance response was maybe the best thing on AEWTV this week. Honorable mention to MJF’s fucking awesome Steiner math promo!!!

Saraya’s a neat promo. Unhinged. I hope she and Toni can pull something at Arthur Ashe.

Jericho/Sammy segment was good for their build. Does this pairing surprise with something special at the Grand Salami?

Roddy Strong continues to kill it out there! In and out of the ring. The Joe match was fun like their previous at the former Copps Coliseum. The finish felt a bit sudden, but a terrific battle nonetheless. The post match stuff wasn’t not cheezewhiz, but I liked what they were trying. I maybe alone, but I'm all in on Bennett/Taven getting a little, tiny bit of shine here. They’re easily the most underrated tag team in wrestling, and likely to prove it in the weeks to come. Really nice refresh with Sa-mo-ah Joe! I’m not believing he’s winning the top title, but he’s feeling like a worthy challenger, and a potential fun match v MJF. 

The QTV segment on Rampage was excellent. Harley Cameron is just wonderful! John TV was also excellent here.

Nice pair of squashes for Aussie Open. Good use of ‘In Action’ segments from the young Aussies. Goodish promo on Collision. FTR v Aussies II will be a thrilling affair. Speaking of FTR, I loved the impressive Powerplex finish in the FTR v Savages bout. I also loved production flub on the Keith Lee promo. Take 22? Or the 22nd promo they’d taped? Shane Taylor is an awesome pro wrestler and deserves a look. Sideman Lee Moriarty is a budding star. Keith Lee has been thus far a never ending start/stop project. I like Keith and want to be proven wrong. I could see Taylor and Lee having a fun match.

Really great week for Statlander. Pulls the solid, fun matches from Jade and the struggling DMD.

Scorpio Sky v Andrade felt like it was on it’s way to something really great. Andrade is a fantastic pro wrestler. Sky might be better suited for tag action. He's been fine in singles, but clearly missing the things needed to be a top star. Men of the Year was a good team. It might be smart to rejoin them. Both are completely lost as singles.

Jay White and his pals feel like a hot act. Andrade v Jay White!

I like the Righteous, but the build to them getting a substantial victory over the Hardys was extremely weak. The reaction to their goodish promo was strong evidence. Further, I really hope the booking team were paying attention, to the ‘Who Are You?’ chant during the Workhorsemen’s confrontation with FTR. I dig the Horses, but throwing them out there from Honor Club was clearly a mistake.

5 hours of AEWTV is generally fun stuff, but clearly far too much. They’re certainly making a strong effort to present a good consistent product.

Edited September 19, 2023 by HarryArchieGus

[Curt McGirt]

Ah ah ah, you didn't watch ROH. Gotta get the full eight hour work day in!