AEW TV - 10/4 - 10/10/2023 - On This Day, I. P. Freely

[Godfrey]

Shafir/Rose vs Shida/Stat was a fine outing, it hit all the regular beats well enough. Nyla and Marina are a team that I feel should be treated as a real threats given the combo of size and MMA background yet they seem stuck in the gatekeeper role despite not really earning it because there is essentially no women's division outside of the two singles champions and whoever their next challenger is. Crowd didn't really buy into the match much since it was a foregone conclusion, which is fine to get Shida some juice but ultimately makes for an uninteresting match. Easily solvable issues all around

I laughed at Schiavone saying Julia Hart's momentum was stopped cold by one loss. Too true, Tony

[Zakk_Sabbath]

39 minutes ago, Godfrey said:

Shafir/Rose vs Shida/Stat was a fine outing, it hit all the regular beats well enough. Nyla and Marina are a team that I feel should be treated as a real threats given the combo of size and MMA background yet they seem stuck in the gatekeeper role despite not really earning it because there is essentially no women's division outside of the two singles champions and whoever their next challenger is. Crowd didn't really buy into the match much since it was a foregone conclusion, which is fine to get Shida some juice but ultimately makes for an uninteresting match. Easily solvable issues all around

I laughed at Schiavone saying Julia Hart's momentum was stopped cold by one loss. Too true, Tony

Big fan of the Nyla/Marina team since they were with Vickie on Dark every week. Loved the match too, but you're spot on with the 'foregone' part. It's funny there are 90 belts on TV and not one of em is a women's tag - maybe they should go on excursion to Impact

[Curt McGirt]

Whoa, that's a REAL good idea. Nyla and Marina in the Land of Big Mean Wimmens would be a great match. 

[JLowe]

Rampage was ok, more setting up angles for matches that are already booked and advancing storylines, and that’s ok and often needed.

I was not happy about Garcia taking the pin but then they followed it up in a good way that made sense.

BCC tag was a sop to the crowd but who can complain about the giant swing and the fastball special?

Lucha 4-way was good, basically nothing but bombs. Eddie saying “like a kitty cat” sent me, funniest random thing since Nyla’s “I love cake...and violence!” Whoever said this was something that would have blown our minds in 1996 but these days is just a thing was right. The Dorado-Komander top rope double spot was wild and innovative as hell.

Main was kind of a slog to me. As others said, it was such a foregone conclusion that it was hard to really get into it. Got across a story about Stat being powerful and finally getting Nyla up, and enough damage to Shida to safely take a fall next Tuesday.

Collision and Title Tuesday look loaded.

[JLowe]

Can’t believe I forgot the amazing Danhausen Halloween III tribute! I need a shirt with the 3 faces and “very very very nice” on front and “very evil” with scary face on back.

[AxB]

3 hours ago, GuerrillaMonsoon said:

Not a fan of the shoot names stuff either. Too "everything you've seen is fake and inconsequential but this is serious business" at the best of times. In the context that he felt so passionately about saving Sting, he waited until his mini-movie aired and his pyro/entrance music went off, it seemed a bit irrelevant.

 

If there's anything Adam Copeland has learned in his years in the Sports Entertainment business, it's that anyone who is doing anything in the ring can be hypnotised into complete inaction, merely by a video playing on the big screen. If he'd have walked onto the stage while the match was still going on, his mesmeric presence would have rendered Christian Cage so shocked and stunned that Darby could have easily schoolboy'ed him for the three count.

[ka-to]

11 hours ago, Zakk_Sabbath said:

I think you're on point with this. Along the same lines, and I could be wrong, but my impression is that some of the recent visual changes to the shows like the new LED stages, graphics packages, and things like that are because of WWE establishing a certain presentation, to a degree. I see talk from a segment of fans of that generation who feel that anything that doesn't resemble WWE looks low-rent.

With each blast of pyro I think "wasting money, wasting money". My generation thinks that anything other than Bruno coming out of the darkened MSG tunnel is fake cartoon wrestling.

[HarryArchieGus]

13 hours ago, Gordlow said:

Whose Hausen? Dan Hausen!

"You've still got it! (Clap, clap, clappity, clap)" 

Fun Hardys/Bests v XJAS opener. I was prepared to go all boohoo why on the finish, but then we got that excellent XJAS promo later. Post match losing side promos are way underutilized.  And a far better way to protect your talent than having them sit in catering for weeks to months. I love the idea of Garcia being ironically too Sports Entertainment for his bandmates. Daniel Garcia seems like he's ready to explode and rocket up the ranks. The promos on this show were really fun - like the Eddie Kingston/SonjayJJ crew showdown. Also, that excellent Ortiz promo. They really oughtta put a modicum of production into that and replay some highlights. They've done a better job lately of replaying and highlighting situations, but they need to do a lot more with the overload of TV each week. Especially on this their definitive C show. It's too much to keep up with. The Claudio/Wheeler squash was kinda fun with that terrific finish. Kommander v Dorado v Penta v John TV was alright. I love Harley Cameron. And I love QTV. If I need to stand alone on that I will. I only caught, or to be honest cared, to see the finish to Stat/Shida v Shafir/Nyla. Tho I did catch Shafir throwing her socks in the crowd - which reminds me how incredibly sad it is that Daddy Magic no longer has a weekly commentary gig. He always made that gimmick special. I'd love to see Shafir become Roddy's DX-Bodyguard-Chyna. No wrestling required. 

[Ramo2653]

14 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

God I have a hard time paying attention to Rampage. Multiman matches and AAA talent. But there were two things:

1. Sonjay appearing to close out their segment by saying "Don't touch my vagina"

2. Levi Shapiro! Pale, pasty shlub of a jobber with a Baby Huey physique! Fingerless glove that says "I have a real good right hand", and he does! Got a kick outta that dude. 

Sonjay said "Don't touch my giant" but your versions is better.

Levi is/was a mainstay of CWFH and is a Bay Area guy so working the Stockton show makes sense. He had a great heel run in 2019-21 ish as their TV champ with Howdy Price as his manager. Dean would have been so hyped to see him in this spot.

[HarryArchieGus]

14 hours ago, Zakk_Sabbath said:

I think you're on point with this. Along the same lines, and I could be wrong, but my impression is that some of the recent visual changes to the shows like the new LED stages, graphics packages, and things like that are because of WWE establishing a certain presentation, to a degree. I see talk from a segment of fans of that generation who feel that anything that doesn't resemble WWE looks low-rent.

3 hours ago, ka-to said:

With each blast of pyro I think "wasting money, wasting money". My generation thinks that anything other than Bruno coming out of the darkened MSG tunnel is fake cartoon wrestling.

It would be nearly as revolutionary as the introduction of the TitanTron in 97 for a company to do something so Wild(!) and creative and, uh, 'Vintage' as to design a simple curtain set-up that could work in the modern TV wrestling landscape. I sense my joy at seeing this would be similar to going to my pal's bar where there were thankfully no fucking Televisions. Burn down the stale Titan Tron and all facsimiles! No more shitty entrance videos! Up with the simplicity of curtains and tunnels! 

Side question: who has the worst entrance video? There seems to be a lot of really shitty ones in AEW. Or what's the best one?

Edited October 7, 2023 by HarryArchieGus

[ExcellenceofAirPollution]

I loved Chikara circa 02-08ish.  Loved the first couple seasons of Lucha Underground.  Loving the ChocoPro I've watched on Youtube.  Pretty clear where I stand on goofy promotions with their own internal logic

Couldn't care less about Adam calling Christian Jay, didn't think that would bother anyone.  He should.  They're friends since childhood, everyone knows it, and I listened to every episode of their podcast where Jay absolutely lives the gimmick of being a dickhead

Did just realize though that this could lead to Luger's first AEW appearance if he's healthy enough!  Sting is already tied into this story.  Was that the first time Lex got namedropped on AEW tv?

[Ramo2653]

You'd probably have to start with a B/C show for the scaled back presentation to ease folks into it. If you look at the state of gameshows and the network talent shows it's all gaudy with screens and lights and what not so wrestling is in line with that.

With the massive size of the screens plus TV wrestling's avoidance of wide shots, most entrance videos are barely noticeable to me now. Orange Cassidy's video seems too "wink wink nudge nudge" for my tastes but that's his whole character. I miss the days of a video having some clips of the wrestling kicking butt mixed in with clips of them posing in some cool looking location that was probably an old warehouse with some lighting and filters applied. I guess Shida's is fine and Sammy's with the cartoon of him beating up Darby, MJF and Jungle Boy?

[Ramo2653]

Just now, ExcellenceofAirPollution said:

I loved Chikara circa 02-08ish.  Loved the first couple seasons of Lucha Underground.  Loving the ChocoPro I've watched on Youtube.  Pretty clear where I stand on goofy promotions with their own internal logic

Couldn't care less about Adam calling Christian Jay, didn't think that would bother anyone.  He should.  They're friends since childhood, everyone knows it, and I listened to every episode of their podcast where Jay absolutely lives the gimmick of being a dickhead

Did just realize though that this could lead to Luger's first AEW appearance if he's healthy enough!  Sting is already tied into this story.  Was that the first time Lex got namedropped on AEW tv?

I'm pretty sure Luger is still in a wheelchair and does work for WWE wellness policy so I don't think that's happening. 

[zendragon]

12 hours ago, Sparkleface said:

You will be shocked to know that I haven't watched a single minute of Lucha Underground ever! I've had people tell me I'd like it, but I've never actually seen it.

No, I watch a promotion where if it's your birthday, it's okay for everyone on the card to run in and splash you in the corner during your match.

You should give it a try, all four seasons are on Tubi

[odessasteps]

Obligatory “it’s a TV show with wrestling, not a wrestling show on TV” retort

[For Great Justice]

One thing I love about AEW is that they’ll throw the shock squash out there every once in a while when you don’t see it coming 

That ruled 

[Curt McGirt]

Yeah, very happy with that. Maybe it was Ricky (and Bill, who deserves it more arguably) getting thrown a bone, maybe it was due to the injury, but so what. Let them run roughshod over everyone. 

The Aussie Open dude almost killed himself on that tope. Not too bright, boss. 

Toni stuck her ass out to get slapped to tease the pervs again! This has gotta be part of the gimmick. 

No idea why Komander doesn't wear camo...

[hammerva]

Yeah the Keira Hogan vs Toni Storm match was an ass lover dream match even if you ignore their ring gear

[The Natural]

Way to get the AEW World Tag Team Titles off FTR and transition them to the Young Bucks, more than likely. Cash Wheeler's legal woes potentially too. The fractured rib if legit of Wheeler as well. Saddened the reign has come to an end. I was hoping for Jay White and Juice Robinson after the two MOTYC with FTR. Never expected Ricky Starks and Big Bill to do it.

Edited October 8, 2023 by The Natural

[SirFozzie]

Wonder if they pulled off the Con-chair-to to the arm (Con-Chairarm-to?) because Darby legit hurt his arm and needs to be written off TV for a bit

[Sammo~!]

34 minutes ago, SirFozzie said:

Wonder if they pulled off the Con-chair-to to the arm (Con-Chairarm-to?) because Darby legit hurt his arm and needs to be written off TV for a bit

Wouldn't surprise me. If you look at the replay of that gnarly stairs bump he took at Wrestledream, he takes the brunt of it to his arm 

[Curt McGirt]

You say that and I ask "which one?" 

[Sammo~!]

7 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said:

You say that and I ask "which one?" 

 

[Just Dave]

Pretty stoked for my guy Stroke Daddy Starks to win an AEW title. Gonna be much less stoked to watch the EVP’s no sell Big Bill’s offense so they can get their flippy bullshit in. But again, what’s the point of being an EVP if you can’t book yourselves to be the Road Warriors, right?

[JLowe]

Shocking opener, will be interesting to see where this goes. But happy for Bill and Starks, they’ve been putting in the work.

Danielson putting Kyle Fletcher over big time in defeat, fantastic match.

Juice Robinson is going to turn himself face if he keeps this up, honestly part of me wonders if they didn’t set BCG against MJF to keep their heel heat.

The Iron Savages just get weirder, but how impressive was Caster getting Boulder up for a Death Valley Driver?! Acclaimed need a real feud and soon.

Timeless Toni Storm is my favorite thing in wrestling currently. Every bit of it is so campy and over the top and she is just running with it and getting super over (and turning face). I really like the bit with the commercial break, it fits the character and since this is all a televised performance it would make sense that her character recognizes the cue for the PiP and responds accordingly.

Kingston-Komander was a clash of styles, Riccaboni helped sell it by bringing up his struggles with luchadores in Chikara. Komander threw some strikes in there though, and I liked the switch from the rope walk to the vault over the ring post. Also liked how earlier Eddie did what he said he would do on a high flying setup and just walked away.

Edge had a winning line with the “Bond villain phase”. “Persian cat” was also decent and the fans definitely went with it. Still not sure what to make of this overall.